Detailed Explanation of Funeral Customs

Detailed Explanation of Funeral Customs

Detailed Explanation of Funeral Customs

uFlowershop's "Funeral Etiquette Encyclopedia" is your authoritative guide to understanding Hong Kong's traditional funeral customs, rituals, and their cultural significance. From Shou Bei (Shroud) and Jiao Wei Fan (Foot-End Meal) to Shu Hun Bo (Temporary Soul Tablet), mourning attire, and Chu Ling (Spirit Dispelling) practices, we aim to provide clear, practical information to help you navigate this sensitive time with grace, ensuring proper respect for the deceased and heartfelt condolences for the bereaved.

Detailed Explanation of Common Funeral Customs

Shou Bei (Water Quilt / Longevity Quilt)

"Shou Bei," also known as Water Quilt, is a special blanket gifted by close relatives and placed over the deceased, featuring red silk sewn into its center, symbolizing auspiciousness and completeness.
This white cotton quilt is an important item in traditional funerals, typically gifted by the deceased's children, daughters-in-law, or in-laws.

Pillow

Traditionally, the deceased's head is not rested on an ordinary pillow, but on spirit money (冥府金銀紙) or a stone, carrying specific ritualistic significance.

Jiao Wei Fan (Foot-End Meal)

"Jiao Wei Fan" is a bowl of rice placed near the deceased's feet, typically topped with a cooked duck egg and a pair of chopsticks, serving as an offering to the deceased.
This is an offering to the deceased and is a customary part of the ritual.

Shu Hun Bo (Erecting the Soul Tablet)

"Shu Hun Bo" is a temporary ancestral tablet made from thick paper or white cloth, inscribed with the deceased's information, serving as a temporary spirit tablet before permanent placement.
During this time, household deities and ancestral tablets are temporarily covered, to be unveiled after encoffinment.

Xiao Fan (Filial Meal Offering)

"Xiao Fan" refers to the meals prepared by the mourning women daily, from encoffinment until Chu Ling, offered to the deceased as a sign of filial piety and remembrance.

Shou Yi (Longevity Clothing / Shroud)

"Shou Yi" are the garments prepared for the deceased for encoffinment; traditionally, male deceased wear an even number of layers, while female deceased wear an odd number.

Fang Shou Wei Qian (Distributing Leftover Money)

"Fang Shou Wei Qian" is the custom where several silver coins are placed in the deceased's sleeves before encoffinment, then distributed to descendants, symbolizing the passing of wealth and blessings.
This practice carries the auspicious saying, "Fang Shou Wei Qian Fu Gui Wan Nian" (Distributing leftover money brings eternal prosperity).

Xi Jing (Purification Ritual)

"Xi Jing" is a Taoist purification ritual where a Taoist priest places black sesame oil in water, and family members lightly touch their forehead with the water for cleansing.
This custom is observed during encoffinment, funeral procession, and Taoist merit-making ceremonies.

Kua Huo Pan (Crossing the Fire Basin)

"Kua Huo Pan" is the ritual where individuals returning home after a funeral must step over a basin of burning charcoal at the entrance, believed to dispel impurities and ensure safety.
This act aims to prevent negative energies or lingering spirits from entering the home.

Xiao Deng (Filial Lantern)

"Xiao Deng" is a conical, white-based lantern with blue characters, indicating the deceased's generation and surname.
The number of "generations" on the lantern is determined by the deceased's seniority and the number of living descendants (e.g., three generations if no grandchildren, four with grandchildren), increasing by one for each subsequent generation.

Zao Xun (Observing Seven-Day Periods)

"Zao Xun" refers to the series of memorial rituals performed every seven days after death.

  • "Tou Qi" (First Seven): Traditionally believed to be the day the deceased first realizes their passing, and their spirit returns home, commonly known as "Hui Hun" (spirit's return).
  • "San Xun" (Third Seven): Often prepared and observed by the deceased's married daughters.
  • "Wu Xun" (Fifth Seven): Usually managed by granddaughters or nieces.
  • "Qi Xun" (Seventh Seven / Final Seven): The last seven-day period, during which paper replicas of houses, money, and other items for the afterlife are burned for the deceased's use in the underworld.

Chu Ling (Dispelling the Spirit Tablet)

"Chu Ling" is the ritual performed after the "Qi Xun" (final seven-day period) ceremony, involving the removal of the temporary spirit tablet table and unveiling of previously covered household deities and ancestral tablets.

Tuo Xiao (Removing Mourning Attire)

"Tuo Xiao" marks the end of the period for wearing mourning clothes or armbands, typically after "Chu Ling," "Zuo Bai Ri" (100th day ceremony), or "Zuo Dui Nian" (first anniversary of death).
During the mourning period, it is generally considered inappropriate to visit friends or relatives, or attend others' weddings or funerals, out of respect for the deceased and to avoid bringing negative energy.

Jiu Zu Xiao (Filial Piety for Nine Generations)

"Jiu Zu Xiao" traditionally refers to an extensive scope of filial piety encompassing nine or more generations, centered on oneself, emphasizing the broad family ties.
This term includes ascending generations (great-great-grandparents, great-grandparents, grandparents, parents) and descending generations (children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren, and further generations like Lai, Kun, Reng, Yun).

Xiao Fu (Mourning Attire)

"Xiao Fu" refers to the specific garments worn in funerals to denote the degree of kinship to the deceased, with different colors and materials for various generations and relationships.

  • Hemp Cloth (麻布): Worn by children, daughters-in-law, and eldest grandchildren, signifying the deepest grief.
  • Ramie Cloth (苧布): Worn by other grandchildren, nephews, and nieces.
  • Light Cloth (淺布): Worn by great-grandchildren and their peers.
  • Yellow Cloth (黃布): Worn by great-great-grandchildren and their peers.
  • Red Cloth (紅布): Worn by descendants of the "Lai" generation (great-great-great-grandchildren) and below. This symbolizes "bringing joy" or "沖喜" (chongxi) due to their higher generational seniority compared to the deceased.
  • White Cloth (白布): Worn by the deceased's peers, siblings, and extended relatives.

Ming Jing (Banner of Encomium)

"Ming Jing" is a long, red silk banner inscribed with the deceased's official rank and name, serving as a traditional marker of their identity and status in a funeral.
Historically, specific sizes were mandated. Modern versions are often about 11 feet (14 English feet) long with gold characters, usually an odd number. "柩" (Jiu - coffin) is written if the coffin is in the hall; "靈" (Ling - spirit) if not. It will be propped next to the spirit tablet and burned after burial. Nowadays, it's often gifted by sons-in-law or descendants, sometimes with green cloth borders for distinction or aesthetic purposes.