What are the origins and customs of vigil? Let's have a look.
The origin of the vigil/wake mentioned in the Book of Rites of the Western Zhou Dynasty: "After three days, the corpse was called in the bed, and the coffin was called in the coffin. The corpse leaned up and cried countless times."
Former relatives and friends, such as children, were too sad when their loved ones died, and they would lie beside their dead relatives in pain, hoping that their loved ones would come back to life and return to them. In the past, filial piety was the most important and human nature.
Secular can't take away human feelings, and human feelings can't go against God's will. Relatives will stay with the deceased, waiting for them, while longing for their loved ones to come back to life. If the deceased can't be resurrected in three days, the family will accept the fact that their loved ones have left and then start preparing for the funeral.
Later, the sage made this custom. This is the initial wake.
According to the Book of Rites, people used to think that people would go home to visit their souls three days after death. Children and relatives wait for the spirit, let the soul of the deceased rest in peace, or long for the miracle of resurrection. There are other pressures.
① Guard the ever-burning lamp.
People die and wander, missing their families. Worried that the soul of the deceased could not find a home, the family members lit an ever-burning lamp in front of the coffin to guide the soul home. Therefore, the ever-burning lamp cannot be extinguished day and night for three days. Guarding the ever-burning lamp is one of the reasons for vigil.
② Take care of the body of the deceased.
In the past, people's living environment was primitive, unlike the orderly courtyards and houses later. If there is no vigil, or dogs, cats, mice, weasels and other animals bite the body. So watch it at night.
③ Showing companionship, reluctance and sadness.
These three days are the last days to leave their loved ones and stay on earth. Family members stay by their loved ones' coffins day and night, burning paper to express their grief, and sometimes family members recite some words while burning paper. Family members express their reluctance and filial piety, or say something to comfort the dead.
Psychologically speaking, a three-day vigil can help families share their grief and comfort each other, which will ease their mood a lot.
(4) When relatives and friends from afar come back to pay homage, they are prepared for the funeral.
Many times, people will die without warning. Three days to collect, so that foreign relatives and friends have enough time to come back for the funeral. Funeral is very complicated, which requires a lot of preparation, villagers' help, and some even have to do things.
Three days of vigil, people are closest to each other, and family members can also discuss how to arrange it. Comfort the deceased relatives face to face before the spirit, properly handle the funeral, and let the relatives leave with peace of mind.
⑤ Who is eligible for the wake?
Although vigil is a kind of filial piety, you can't wake up in any capacity. Old customs are very special.
First of all, children, grandchildren and granddaughters must wake up. Similarly, the daughter-in-law and granddaughter should wake up.
In the past, there were many children, relatives, nephews and grandchildren in the family of the deceased, all of whom were eligible for the wake.
The son-in-law of the deceased should wake up. At this time, it is time for the son-in-law to show filial piety. People laugh when the son-in-law doesn't come. We have a custom in southern Shandong, when the funeral, the son-in-law will appear together to salute. Those who thank the gifts are grandsons and grandsons, who will deliberately "pit" their brother-in-law or uncles and make fun of them for "making a fool of themselves". If the son-in-law doesn't wake up, he will be pigtailed and made to smile when he worships.
There are special circumstances. A close friend of the deceased's son, sometimes vigil. I have no uncle. When grandma died, my father's best friend stayed with my father for three nights.
People who can't wake up include pregnant or aborted women.
The above folk customs do not involve special circumstances. In addition, it's natural to be ten miles different, and there may be differences in different places.
Vigilance/wake has been an old custom for thousands of years. Its formation is first caused by people's affection, and there were objective factors in the past. Now the vigil is mainly to mourn and wait for distant relatives and friends to go home, and the funeral arrangements are also convenient to prepare.
Three days together is a deep affection between human beings, and it is the last time for family and relatives to accompany and cherish the memory of the deceased.
Why do people keep vigil after death? What are the taboos of vigil?
After a person dies, some relatives and friends of the deceased will keep vigil for him. In our hometown, burial is still practiced, so old people usually stay at home for a few days after their death. At this time, people in the yard and relatives and friends of the deceased will keep vigil, especially on their last night at home. Generally, as long as there is nothing special, they will keep vigil for them.
One of the reasons why people do this is that the family of the deceased will be very dull at this time because of the funeral. At this time, people go to the vigil to increase popularity and make the atmosphere of the main house less boring. The other is that these people are usually some good friends of the deceased before his death, which means to see the deceased for the last time and send him the last journey. In order to thank these vigils, the main family usually hosts four meals a day.
However, in these vigils, the most important force is the filial sons and grandchildren of the deceased. Usually one or two of these people will never leave the scene, even if they eat separately. What is said here is that after death, the light in front of the spirit cannot be put out. These people want to see the lights in front of the spirit, and they want to see that animals such as mice and cats don't get close to the dead. This is also the minimum dignity of the deceased. Another reason why these dutiful sons could not leave before was to prevent some unscrupulous people from having ideas. In our place, we usually give some funerary objects to the dead. Although not as good as before, we will put some money on our bodies and mouths. We used to be afraid that someone would take it away, so we kept it. We also have a custom here that the dead can't have iron (including coffins). At this time, someone is watching to prevent someone from tampering. According to what we say here, if there is iron in the coffin, the dead will not be reborn.
As for taboos, as long as you don't touch the dead, don't make a scene in the mourning hall. If you pay a little attention, relatives and friends can't wear colorful clothes to watch the night. Other pregnant women and people recovering from a serious illness are not suitable for vigil. This situation does not mean that there are other problems here, mainly considering the long vigil, fearing that these people can't stand it.
The above is about keeping vigil for the dead in my hometown charcoal fire. How to say or pay attention to the vigil?
People can't come back from the dead, but sometimes miracles happen. Whether it is a fake corpse or a resurrection, in fact, people are really resurrected. It happened here. People climbed up two days after death, and their relatives and friends were surprised and happy. It's really amazing. Later, this man lived for more than 30 years, and it is unbelievable for anyone to say that Ye Yan was wrong. There was also a woman who committed suicide. She threw herself into the river, and then someone saved her and gave up the ghost. When she went to the crematorium for plastic surgery, the woman breathed a sigh of relief and sat up. This kind of situation is indeed many, vigil is a kind of luck, hoping for a miracle.
Of course, the three-day wake also has emotional entanglements that I can't forget. After death, people are depressed, and the living say no and leave. Three days means sadness, the first day mourning, the second day memorial service and the third day preparation for funeral. You can't send people to the crematorium when you die! You are so heartless! Don't you have any ideas? There is also a saying that there are three days of wake, that is, the deceased should report to the Yin and Yang Master first, and the deceased should send him the last journey.
Vigilance means that the dutiful son and grandson are always with the deceased, with the ever-burning lamps shining and sitting on the floor at night. The dutiful son can't go to bed or wash his face. This is a big no-no. The next morning, the floor was cleaned. At night, the dutiful son wants to turn over for the dead, that is, move a little. Usually two or three times in the evening, and I have to shout to tell the dead. When a child is in mourning, he must not shed tears at the deceased, which will make the deceased dream and bring bad luck to the child. Of course, watching the cat at the vigil is not a scam, but a noise, thinking that the deceased is doing something. I was in a bad mood and thought I had done something wrong. The ghost really knocked at the door. The vigil is mainly for the loved ones, to read the kindness of the dead, to accompany them for a day, and then to be separated by yin and yang. Some customs and habits of vigil still depend on the local actual situation, so I won't say much.
It is also the last farewell to the deceased. Sometimes the dead come back to life, and some diseases are urgent. He died at once, so he resumed his rest and had to keep vigil to avoid people coming back to life. No one took care of him and he died again. After all, vigil is a very serious problem. I can't be lively. I'd better be quiet. ...
The rules left by the older generation, China people's traditional concept is heavier, just like many places burn paper money for the dead after death, foreigners don't have this kind, and the customs and habits of every country and region in the world are different. When we live healthily in the world, when our relatives, family members and the elderly are all around, it is meaningless to try our best to be filial.