Farewell
The most painful thing in life is the separation of life and death. When the elderly are dying, they are mostly attached to each other, thinking about their children and relatives. At this time, those who are at home Children should serve them day and night, stay close to home, and send messages to their children abroad to urge them to return as soon as possible. After receiving such calls and letters, children are eager to return home, traveling day and night, crying and striving to return home. Not only will the old man not be able to see his relatives for a while, but his children will also regret it for the rest of their lives, and they will be accused of being unfilial. Sometimes, coincidentally, the old man will "die" once his children come in. . Therefore, it is called "sent off" when children guard their parents. At this time, the old man makes some posthumous arrangements in front of everyone, such as who will be the "shopkeeper", the inheritance of the business, the handling of the property, and the settlement of debts. Instructing children and grandchildren on how to behave, etc., is commonly known as "entrusting family affairs". Children should comply with the last words of the elderly one by one, so that the elderly can rest assured that they will not change their wishes even after death. Death is considered a rare "good death". When an old person is critically ill and his children and grandchildren are still busy with their own work, they will inevitably be criticized by everyone and scolded by their relatives.
When a person is seriously ill and has no hope, Men should invite their maternal uncle's family to visit; women should invite their parents' family to visit them. This is a necessary etiquette in the local area. In case of death, they can let them know how the person died. Otherwise, they will suddenly visit after death. If they are supervising the funeral, they will make excuses to make things difficult. If there are any other unpleasant things to do with the uncle's family or the mother's family, the invitation will often fail. At this time, the only way is for the filial son to kneel outside the door, kowtow and say something back. Ask for sympathy and understanding. Try to meet the funeral conditions proposed by the uncle's family and the mother's family, because the local custom is that if you have trouble with the uncle's family and the mother's family, the funeral cannot be carried out smoothly.
When the deceased is dying, relatives must shave his head (for men), comb his hair (for women), wash and have a facelift. Before dying, he must put on his shroud (commonly known as "old clothes"). It is not easy to wear; secondly, it means that the person wears it after death, which means that he will still have no clothes in the underworld. According to local custom, the shroud should be sewn in the leap month of a leap year. The meaning of "merits and virtues moistening" is the meaning of future generations. The sleeves of the shroud should be long and can cover the tips of the hands. It is taboo to have short sleeves that expose the hands. Otherwise, the children and grandchildren of future generations will have no clothes to cover their bodies and stretch out their hands to beg for food. Regarding the number of shrouds, they should wear singles rather than doubles. , means to avoid misfortunes coming in pairs; on the shroud cloth, wear plain cloth, avoid wearing twill cloth, for fear that the word "evil" will be used by future generations, and future generations will engage in evil ways; especially avoid wearing leather, because leather is animal skin, and it will cause fear if worn. If you turn into an animal in the next life, you can use silk but not satin, because satin is a homophone for "broken child", which is unlucky. You cannot use buttons for the shroud, but can only use cloth ribbons, because button and "twisted child" are homophonic, fearing that future generations will have trouble. "Nizi". The shroud should have cotton on both sides, including cotton clothes and cotton trousers. This means "taking cotton (for sleeping)" as the lining. If a child dies before his or her parents, a white cloth strip will be garnished on the shroud to show that the child will also serve as a uniform for the parents in the afterlife. Except for civil servants, most of the old people's shrouds still follow the style of robes and short coats from the Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China, which shows the stubbornness of feudal habits.
When a person has just breathed his last, he should quickly put the prepared "pukou money" into his mouth. "Puukou money" is also called "koushi". It is a copper coin or other metal coin with a red thread on it. After placing it in the deceased's mouth, tie the other section of the red thread to the shroud belt to prevent it from slipping into the abdomen. The red thread will be pulled off during burial.
There are three folk theories about putting "money" in the mouth of the deceased. One is that money is called "treasure", and putting money into the mouth of the deceased is called "treasure in the mouth", which means auspiciousness; the other is that people work hard all their lives, and no matter how much money is left behind, "money in the mouth" is the last thing to take away. The third is that people become "ghosts" after death, and "ghosts" have to be reincarnated and reborn as humans. With "pout money", they will not be poor in the next life. After some people die, they still hold a piece of steamed bun in their hands, which means that they will have food to eat on the road to the underworld, will not starve, and will not be short of food in the next life.
Moving the bed
After the patient puts on the shroud, he should move it from the bedroom to the main room of the main room as the formal place for the dying person to say his last farewell to the world. They all waited for him to leave peacefully. This is what people often call "end of life".
The corpse is placed on a plank bed supported by two long benches, and the bottom bed is covered with corn grass. The number of corn grass roots is equal to the life span of the deceased, which is commonly known as "invisible grass". Why lay "invisible grass"? In the past, it was said that the "soul" left the body after death, but he did not know that he was dead. He just felt very relaxed and went around playing around. In order to let him have a good time and not let him see his body for the time being, he used these grains and grass to hide it. Another theory is that ghosts are not allowed to enter the "underworld" within two days after a person's death. They are not allowed to roam around in the underworld, and they cannot possess people. Therefore, "invisibility grass" must be spread to allow them to hide temporarily. After a person dies, his body should be straightened out so that he lies on his back, and his face should be covered with a thin piece of yellow paper or white paper, commonly known as "thatch paper". There are different opinions on why people wear paper masks after death. One theory is that the face of a person becomes ugly after death, and relatives will feel a little sad or scared when they see his face, so they cover it with "thatch"; another theory is to observe whether the deceased is faking his death, and if so, he will be angry. When the paper is moved, it can also be used to revive people; one theory is that it blocks dust and prevents noise, which means that the deceased can rest in peace. Only the dead can cover their faces with paper. Therefore, people are very taboo about covering their faces with paper for fear of causing bad luck.
Before the corpse is buried, a rope loop is placed around the ankle, commonly known as a "stumbling rope." Legend has it that during the "morgue", if there is thunder and lightning or a cat jumps over the body, the dead person will suddenly stand up and catch something or someone and never let go. This is called "never letting go", which is very special. Scary. Therefore, it is necessary to tie it up with a hemp rope and then untie it when the coffin is placed and covered.
The corpse is placed on the corpse bed, and a white rooster is tied to the foot of the bed, which is called "watching the funeral chicken." The "mourning chicken" must be tied up until the funeral. It is said to be to prevent cats, rats and insects from eating the corpses. "Mourning chickens" can only be sold in the market, and the bereaved family cannot kill them for food. It is believed that chickens are used to guard the funeral of the elderly, and it is unlucky to kill them.
Local custom is that as long as the patient is still alive, he must not cry, as crying is considered unlucky. Only after the body has been placed, the whole family mourns and mourns loudly, using an earthen basin as a paper basin, and burning the first handful of paper. In many places, it is called burning "head paper", which is commonly known as "guidance paper" locally. People think that burning paper is to give money to the deceased so that the deceased can travel safely with the "discounts".
How did the custom of burning paper during funeral ceremonies and in honor of ancestors come about? Legend has it that Cai Lun invented papermaking, which caused a sensation in the world and brought him fame and fortune. Cai Lun's sister-in-law was jealous and forced Cai Lun's brother Cai Mo to learn papermaking. Cai Mo started making paper without his brother's knowledge. The paper he made was black and thick, and no one came to buy it, so it piled up all over the house. Cai Lun's sister-in-law felt deeply guilty and died suddenly. Cai Mo was so angry that he burned the paper in front of his wife's soul. While burning, he heard his wife shouting from the coffin: "Open the door, open the door!" People opened the coffin lid, and Cai Lun Wife Mo sat up and muttered: "In the world of heaven, money connects the world, but in the underworld, paper is used for business. If my husband hadn’t burned the paper, who would have let me come back? "Later, when I met everyone, I told them that I was dead, and the little ghosts sent me to the Palace of the King of Hell. The King of Hell asked me to suffer. On the way, my husband burned paper and gave money, and the little ghosts started fighting for it. After they got the money, they Put me back from hell. In this way, the news that the paper made by Cai Mo could be used as a moneymaker in the underworld quickly spread, and the piles of paper were sold out. Cai Mo knew that his wife was pretending to be selling paper. She was not entirely blamed for her death. Since then, the custom of burning paper has been passed down. To this day, folk funerals still burn darker, rough paper, commonly known as "dou bottom paper" and "rising bottom paper".
There are two types of paper burned at local funerals: one is called "burning paper", which is a square rough paper of about six or seven inches. Before burning, coins or banknotes are used to rub the paper on it, which is commonly known as "paper making". It means that it has been turned into "money" after printing. It is commonly believed that paper does not need to be rubbed with coins, so it cannot be used as "money" in the underworld; the other type is called "Yin Qiao", which used to be banknote-shaped "paper money" printed with woodblock printing, with " The words "Bank of the Underworld" are inscribed, with denominations ranging from thousands, ten thousand, and billions of yuan. Burning these two types of paper is to send "money" to the deceased.
Funeral Report
The remains of the deceased are kept After bed, Mr. "Yin and Yang" will be invited soon to estimate the "disaster" time according to the time when the deceased died, the hanging of visitors, the funeral and burial, the "seven days", the hundred days, the first anniversary, the second anniversary, and the third anniversary. The days were listed on white paper and posted on the wall. The funeral ceremony was carried out as scheduled. At the same time, the leading figures of the "family father and son" were invited to discuss how to handle the funeral. The "general manager" was invited, the "zhike" was called, the chef was appointed, the musician was appointed, and preparations for the funeral began.
The general manager coordinates the arrangements and directs the actions, and the victim just acts as a filial son by providing money and materials.
After all the funeral matters have been agreed upon, first send someone to the uncle's house (for a male mourning) or natal family (for a female mourning) to report the funeral, and ask them to see whether the death was normal, whether the children are all present, whether the materials and shrouds are complete, and whether the burial materials are complete. Whether the funeral ceremony specifications are appropriate. When my mother and uncle's family came, my filial son knelt down in front of the door and howled to welcome them. After they see the remains of the deceased, if they have no objections, the funeral can proceed as planned. For aunts, aunts, sons-in-law, nephews, god-brothers, etc., the nephews and brothers in the "family father and son" family will go to the funeral separately and inform them when to pay tribute and when to bury them, so that they can come to express condolences as scheduled. It is a local custom that people do not wear white filial piety for the first two days after death, which is commonly known as "black-headed filial son", and only wear "full clothes" on the third day after death. Therefore, when a filial son announces his funeral, he can only shout from a cliff or a wall, and cannot go straight into the door. It is believed that "black-headed filial sons" will often "collide" when entering the door, which will bring bad luck to the host's family. For example, some people have a lot of flies in their courtyards, which is commonly believed to be "the result of black-headed filial piety."
After hearing the bad news, the neighboring township parties and tribesmen outside the "Wufu" took the initiative to bring incense and paper to burn the paper to express their condolences and say goodbye to the deceased. This is called "sending paper" or "sending paper". If there are many people, it proves that the deceased was virtuous and popular during his lifetime.
Breaking
When a person dies, he or she must be buried as soon as possible. Therefore, tomb-breaking is the first important thing in a funeral. The local people have always believed in "Feng Shui" and "Pulse Qi", and believe that their ancestors are in the "Feng Shui Treasure Land" where "hidden dragons and crouching tigers" are located, and their children and grandchildren will be able to get promoted and make a fortune, achieve both fortune and fortune, and be prosperous and prosperous. The wealthy people say that "the pulse energy in the tomb is good", while the poor people say that "the pulse energy in the tomb is good", and the poor people say that there is no trace in the tomb. They attribute the fortune of future generations to the good or bad feng shui of the tombs of their predecessors. Therefore, people are very cautious and conscientious in choosing tomb sites.
After a person dies, the eldest male protagonist Xiao will accompany Mr. Yin and Yang to get it. Use the compass, ruler, rope, wooden prong, and hoe to reach the predetermined cemetery. According to the ins and outs of the Bagua, the principle of mutual generation and mutual restraint, refer to the Bagua Tai Chi diagram and the thirty-six directions in all directions, judge the good and evil, good and bad, choose the "mountain direction" with good "Feng Shui", and outline the tomb site, which is commonly known as "Gou Xue Di". "Hooking point" also takes into account the later matters such as the husband and wife burying their son to "hang the feet" for their parents. If you are buried in an ancestral tomb (commonly known as an "old tomb"), the acupoints are easy to determine, because they are all measured beforehand and can be slightly corrected. If you want to build a new tomb, you need to use the Bagua compass to repeatedly check and mark the position. At the same time, you need to put up five-color flags, put on the incense table, pay homage to the ancestors, pay homage to the heaven and earth, and perform the Yingying ceremony. The local people call this ceremony simply "Chengming Tomb" ". After liberation, cemeteries were unified and planned, and most of the tombs in the fields were demolished. The cemetery system was generally implemented. The bad habit of selecting tomb sites has been eliminated, but the custom of asking Mr. "Yin and Yang" to survey and locate the "grave" still continues.
After Mr. "Yin and Yang" has determined the "acupoints", he still has to choose an auspicious day in the zodiac to break ground.
In the past, when the ground was broken, the filial son had to burn incense, perform a grand ceremony, and pray for God's blessings, which was the "foundation ceremony" for the old man to build a ghost house. The local tombs are divided into two parts in terms of structure: one is "Ming Tingzi", which is about 7.5 to 8 feet vertically deep and about 4 feet wide; the second is "Chuantang Kiln", which is at the bottom of "Ming Tingzi" At the big end, dig an earthen cave dwelling large enough to fit the coffin. It is usually more than 3 feet high and more than 8 feet deep. In the past, except for officials and gentry, local burials generally did not use bricks and stones. Since the reform and opening up, people's living standards have generally improved, and the standards for tomb construction have also been upgraded. Nowadays, most "Duantang kilns" use brick hoops, commonly known as "brick hoop tombs". Some people even finished the tomb while the old man was still alive. One is to be prepared after the old man dies; the other is to show the filial piety of the children by letting the old man take a look at the "Home Ownership House" where he will live after his death.
The locals also have many things to pay attention to when "breaking the tomb": First, the acupuncture points, nailed wooden prongs and drawn excavation lines determined by Mr. "Yin and Yang" cannot be moved or modified by anyone. Second, the length of time for tomb-breaking is determined by the length of time the coffin remains at home. Since the groundbreaking on the "auspicious day", people have dug the soil every day, but it must be completed in the afternoon of the day before the burial, not earlier or later. If the time for the coffin to be parked is short and urgent, then the grave digger will have to work day and night, regardless of wind or rain, and must not miss the burial time. Third, the grave diggers are all relatives and neighbors and are generally not hired. Fourth, the grave diggers will have three meals a day and try their best to entertain them. In the past, every time a filial son ate, he had to "kneel down and eat until the end of the meal." If time is tight, the meal should be sent to the cemetery. It is best to finish the meal before leaving it. If there is any leftover, bury it on the spot and do not take it home. Nowadays, the custom of "kneeling with food" for filial sons has been abolished.
However, a filial son must go to the cemetery every day to offer cigarettes and tea to the grave diggers, kowtow to show respect, and toast the grave diggers with wine during meals. This is an indispensable etiquette.
Shengji
Within three days after a person dies, unless there is a special reason, the dressed body must be carried into a coffin, which is commonly known as "Shengjing" or "Human burial" . During the "grand burial", all filial sons will participate, and relatives and neighbors will help. The uncle's family must be present, or their permission must be obtained, and the elders of the clan must preside over it. Otherwise, the "grand burial" cannot be carried out.
When the corpse is placed in the coffin, it is necessary to stabilize the position of the corpse, decorate the corpse's appearance, spread a red mattress underneath, and cover it with a red sheet, which also means that the descendants will be prosperous. Between the corpse and the coffin wall, pine and cypress sawdust, leaf powder or plant ash wrapped in paper are inserted tightly to fix it and prevent it from shaking. The coffin can be closed only after the arrangements are in place, which is commonly known as "closing the dragon's mouth". Once closed, it cannot be opened again. As the saying goes: "It is better to be separated by a thousand miles than by a board." Therefore, if the mother-in-law and uncle's family have not arrived during the "grand burial", or the relatives who are mourning have not arrived, the "dragon's mouth" cannot be closed, leaving a gap in the coffin lid. After they saw the body, they could "close the mouth of the dragon".
There is also a special emphasis on the "interment" of the local dead. When the corpse is put into the coffin, the eldest son (the successor) should hold the head, while others carry the corpse and carefully put the corpse into the coffin. Due to the influence of the feudal patriarchal ideology, the eldest son held the head when he was "in the ashes", threw the "paper basin" after the spirit was raised, and "pulled the fiber" at the funeral. Even the subsequent memorial ceremonies, holding the "tablet", burning paper, and pouring wine were all the eldest son's responsibility. thing. As long as the eldest son is alive, no one can take his place.
After the deceased was "encased", the filial son kowtowed, burned paper, and cried bitterly in mourning. Then, ask someone to write "Ming Clan", which is called "Main Clan" in the local area. The so-called "main clan" is to write the surname, given name, comments, etc. of the deceased on a piece of red silk or cloth 7 feet long and 2.5 feet wide. Those who had an official position during their lifetime had to add an official title before their surname, and their comments were called "Gong Ping", those who had no official positions were called "Xiang Ping", and those who were women were called "Gui Ping". In the next paragraph, the official or academic title of the writer should also be written, and his name should be written on red cloth or red paper and affixed. It is best to ask a local celebrity to take the lead in writing the "main banner". After writing, the mourner must express his gratitude. It is considered a very honorable thing to invite a celebrity. Although "Zhu Jing" is written in different ways, it is generally as follows:
Why should we write "Zhu Jing"? Because the appearance of the deceased is no longer visible after being "encased", a flag with the name of the deceased written on it is used as a mark. Some local funerals hang the "main banner" in front of the soul, and some hang it in the courtyard on the day of hanging as a symbol for guests to pay their respects to the deceased to show respect for the deceased. When the "Zhu Jing" is buried, the name of the inscribed person is removed, displayed on the coffin, and buried together with the deceased.
A mourning hall is set up to bury the body, place the coffin, and allow people to pay homage and filial sons to watch the funeral. In the middle of the hall, a large tent can be hung to cover the corpse bed or coffin. In the middle of the tent is a big word "Dian", and in front of the tent hangs a strip of white paper "curtain" cut with various patterns. ", and wrote a eulogy such as "A strict father (loving mother) has brought up a lot of kindness, and it will be a pity that his children and grandchildren will not repay it". A table was placed in front of the tent, and a spiritual plaque or portrait marking the coffin of the deceased was enshrined in the middle of the table by the tent. Offerings such as tea, rice, snacks, and fruits are placed, and sacrificial utensils such as incense sticks and incense burners are placed on the front of the table. White candles are also lit in front of the table. A white paper table skirt is placed in front of the table, and earth crabs wrapped in white paper are placed for sprinkling libations. A "paper basin" is also placed for the dutiful son to burn paper and the guests to hold paper ashes. The two sides of the table are covered with straw or wheat straw for the dutiful son to kneel in mourning (men on the left and women on the right). ". This kind of "paper work" is made by "paper craftsmen" using reeds and colored paper, and the bereaved owner pays for it. The forms of "paper work" include: Lingting, Guoting, Ming'er, Mingnu , ghost horses, cranes, auspicious deer, flowers, auspicious grass, etc. There are also "seven-star swords", "twelve pieces" and other halls. The number of displays depends on the financial situation of the bereaved family.
On the large and small gates of the courtyard, white paper funeral couplets are affixed the afternoon before the hanging ceremony is held. The "white things" couplets circulated in the local area are generally: "The person who leans on the door goes to the third night, and the weeping stick is sad. Five cold nights. "Those who observe filial piety don't know the red sunset, and miss their relatives and often watch the white clouds fly." ""The cold cuckoo is still weeping in the third watch of the moon, and the crane is flying in the sky thousands of miles away. "The white horse and the plain carriage are sorrowful, and the blue sky and blue sea are haunting." "The peach blossoms and flowing water have gone away. Where can I find the breeze and the bright moon?" "The sad sound is difficult to control, and the flowing clouds are stationary, and the crying is accompanied by wild cranes flying." "Three paths of cold pines are weeping with dew, and the remaining bamboos in half the windows are howling in the wind." "The jingle floats outdoors with filial piety, and the rhyme fills the hall with sorrow" and other clichés to mourn the deceased. But it should be noted that men and women must be distinguished in the couplets, otherwise it will make a joke.
In short , a white and miserable funeral atmosphere should be created in the mourning hall and courtyard layout.
Childbirth
Around eight or nine o'clock in the morning on the third day after a person's death is the local date of "Childbirth". "Chu Zi" means "going out of the house" and "going out of the obituary (obituary)". It is also called "Chengfu" locally. It is called "giving birth to sons" because it means showing the number of descendants. "Childbirth" is an indispensable, serious and solemn part of the funeral ceremony. The actual purpose of "publishing an obituary" is to publicly announce the funeral to the public. There is another superstitious saying that if you don't "report your obituary", the deceased will not know your death. Only after you "report your obituary", the deceased will know that his life in the human world has ended. "Obituary" is to write the date of birth and death of the deceased, as well as the children, nephews, and grandchildren in the "five clothes" on paper (not including women), paste it on a rectangular wooden board, and place it outside the gate for people to see. and understanding. Writing the "obituary" is very important among the people. If the deceased has no children and no established heir, one of the nephews must be temporarily selected as the successor and written on the "obituary". Who is written? There is a "legal" right to inherit property. Under the items of "period service", "great merit", "small merit", etc., who should be written, who is in front, who is behind, who is far and who is near, must be treated carefully, and no one should be missed. On the contrary, there will be fights and troubles within the clan and among filial sons, causing chaos in the funeral and disharmony in the family. The "obituary" is written by Mr. Yin and Yang, and the format is not consistent. The general writing method is as follows:
Obituary
The unfilial man XXX and other sins are serious, and he cannot destroy himself, and the misfortune will be delayed. The taboo for the monarch of the mansion is XX (for women, write: Xianhexfuxruren). He was born on XX, XX, XX. Unfortunately, he became ill due to overwork on XX, XX, XX, and passed away in this house at the age of ten and After the burial, the coffin was placed in the hall, and the ceremonial attire was attired. In accordance with the strict (compassionate) order, it is decided that a memorial service will be held on X, month,
The lonely (sorrowful) son XXX weeps blood and mourns his death
Qi Shuai’s grandson XXX cries blood and mourns his first death
Qi Shuai’s great-grandson XXX mourns his first death in tears
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Xiao Gongfu’s nephew XXX wiped his tears and bowed his head
Mafu’s great nephew Wearing white filial piety (see Chapter 2, Section 5 for details), holding a mourning stick (commonly known as a "crying stick", which is a tooth-shaped white paper wrapped around a willow branch), the whole courtyard is completely white. There are no rules for sewing "filial piety clothes". Generally, except for those who sew "filial piety shirts" (i.e. "filial piety coats") for direct sons-in-law, nephews, and married women, other filial sons in the "family father and son" must prepare their own "filial piety clothes" , some only have the white cloth of their shoes loose. After the filial son puts on the "filial piety clothes", he must kneel down in front of the spirit to observe the mourning, accept the guests to pay homage, and accompany him to cry and mourn until the funeral. During the mourning period, filial sons, especially their biological children, should follow the old etiquette requirements and do not wash their faces, shave their heads, wear shoes, sit on stools, smoke, bow their heads in front of others, eat meat or fish, sleep on thatch pillows, and are not allowed to joke around or smile playfully. ; Women are not allowed to apply makeup or powder. Most of these old rituals have been abolished now, but it is human nature to observe mourning and express condolences, and it is still followed today.
When "giving birth to a son", all filial sons must be present, the uncle's family must be present, and the son-in-law, nephews and close relatives must also participate. The suona was played and drums were played. After all the filial sons kowtowed in front of the soul and burned paper, the eldest son took the lead with a "crying stick" in his arms. The other filial sons followed with a "crying stick" in their hands, lined up in a row, cried outside the gate, and put the "crying stick" in their arms. "Put it in a conspicuous place, the filial sons will kneel together, burn paper and kowtow, and then return to the shrine to burn paper and offer rice. The more filial sons there are when "giving birth to a son", the larger the lineup and the more honorable it will be. People use this to show that the deceased is full of children and grandchildren, and that the family has a large number of people. Therefore, the people attach great importance to the etiquette of "giving birth to a son".
Invite the Lord
In fact, it means to "accompany the guest", but the locals call it "Please the Lord". That is, on the afternoon of the day before the hanging ceremony is held, the "spirit" of the brother, sister or sister-in-law who preceded the deceased within the "five days" is invited back to accompany the new deceased to enjoy the memorial ceremony. The deceased man invites the deceased to come back. "Brother, brother", when a dead woman invites her "sister-in-law", men and women cannot be mixed. When "inviting the Lord", there are drums and music in front, and the filial sons line up to follow, whose eldest son holds his "tablet" and takes the lead in burning paper. Some burned paper on their graves, and some burned paper at the crossroads, wandering around the area to announce to the villagers that they would hold a memorial ceremony for the next day. They gathered together, howled to greet the deceased, and then returned to the memorial tablets, placing all the "tablets" on the left and right in the shape of long and young wild goose wings in the center, and then kowtowed, burned paper, and offered rice to the deceased. They "eat and drink" together.
After "inviting the Lord", the son-in-law, nephew or son offers sheep to the deceased, which is commonly known as "leading the sheep" (sometimes "leading" the sheep in advance). "Leading the sheep" means pulling the sheep to the front of the soul, and the worshipers face the mourning hall and shout: "xx, the name of the sheep sacrificer, will lead the sheep for you!" Someone poured water into the sheep's ears, and after pouring, they said: "Shaking the wool and big collar." The sheep is stimulated by the cold water and shakes all over. It is considered that the deceased has "taken it" and is taken out to be slaughtered for a banquet and entertained the next day. Why "lead the sheep" to the deceased? Some say it was given to the deceased as a horse to ride in the underworld; some said it was for the deceased to eat; some said it was for the deceased to carry money. Everyone has their own understanding, and there is no final conclusion.
The hanging ceremony
Usually a banquet is held the day before the burial to entertain guests and pay homage. The so-called "open hanging" also means public memorial. It is commonly known locally as "Lai Ke" or simply "Dian" or "Diao". This day brings the most visitors and is also the climax of the funeral.
In the early morning of that day, the filial son knelt down and burned the paper first, and then the "customer" started to "take out the paper" outside the gate. The locals call this kind of "paper" "big paper". "Paper craftsmen" use various colored papers (mainly white paper) to carve money, patterns and other patterns, use reeds as the skeleton, and tie them into It looks like pavilions and pavilions, and is then connected with sticky paste into a long cylindrical shape, plus paper flags and streamers, and is hung on a high pole about two feet high. The simplified and traditional versions are decided by the bereaved family. "Getting out of paper" means raising flags to summon the souls of the deceased and bringing back the souls to enjoy the memorial ceremony.
After "taking out the paper", the filial son kowtows in front of the soul, burns the paper, and offers food to the deceased. When offering food, the heads of pigs killed in the funeral must also be offered. When visitors look at the pig's head on the sacrificial table, they will know how many pigs were killed during the funeral.
On that day, relatives, friends and neighbors came to pay their respects one after another. A "ceremony table" and a "ceremony book" were set up outside the gate of the bereaved family. Someone specially registered visitors and gifts, which is commonly known as "giving gifts". All visitors are welcomed warmly with drums and music playing, and there are "zhike" dedicated to receive guests. The guests first "offer gifts" at the "ceremony table" and then burn paper and drink libations in front of the soul. If there is a plaque or banner inscribed by a "celebrity" among the gifts, the band should march forward under the leadership of the person giving the gift, and then the filial sons will line up and kneel down next to the village to greet them as a sign of respect. In recent years, in addition to the suona, Western drums and horns have been included in the funeral music, making it even more spectacular, solemn and impressive.
Visitors often give "burning paper", tribute incense, Taiwan wax, paper work, gift buns, cash (commonly known as "moment ceremony"), etc.; relatives also give tribute banners and spiritual notes (cloths with stickers on them). Eulogies), elegiac couplets; and wreaths. What is particularly worth mentioning is that after the reform and opening up, although the government advocated "high maintenance but low burial" and "simple funerals", as economic conditions improved, the scale of funerals increased and comparisons spread. Many people take pride in funeral plaques and banners. No matter who dies or what his moral deeds were during his lifetime, people who give gifts will get together, ask people with "titles" to write inscriptions, and make plaques and banners to express condolences and respect. Therefore, plaques and banners are Suspicious and vulgar.
After the visitors burned paper and drank libations in front of the spirit, someone gave them "filial piety veils" to wear. Then the general manager will arrange it, and the guests will greet them and all of them to have a meal. Relatives and friends who do not participate in the "burial ceremony" the next morning can bid farewell to the deceased after the meal and leave.
Sacrifice
There is no local rule for how many days the funeral should take place. The first is to determine the auspicious burial date according to the calculation of "Yin and Yang"; the second is to determine it according to the preparations of the bereaved family; the third is to determine it according to the season. If it is midsummer, it must be buried quickly. Therefore, there are cases where the funeral lasts four to five days, or seven or eight days. In the past, there was a custom of leaving the coffin to be buried due to unfavorable "years", unfavorable groundbreaking or other reasons. That is to bury the coffin with earth crabs and store it, waiting for auspicious days and auspicious times before burial.
Local funerals are generally divided into three types: ordinary funerals, official and guest funerals, and additional memorial services. For ordinary things, there are no chief officials, local officials or concierges, just a few players playing suona. There is no "nodding of honor" ceremony, only kneeling on grass to keep vigil, burning paper and offering libations, and receiving guests to pay their respects. The official orchestra is huge, the etiquette is complicated, and it is very expensive. Only wealthy people can afford it. It is necessary to invite one distinguished chief official, one local official, and four concierges, wearing old-style robes and old-style hats. There are rituals such as offering sacrifices to epitaphs, offering sacrifices to large trees, offering sacrifices to connoisseurs (i.e., the "three offerings"), "pointing the host", and "offering soil to the queen" in front of the tomb. Every time a ceremony is held, drums and music must be played in unison, praises must be shouted, three bows and nine knocks must be made, and memorial texts must be read. In the past, some bereaved families also invited monks and Taoists to chant sutras and "make offerings" to save the souls of the deceased.
Additional sacrifices (also called "following sacrifices") mean that in the past, due to family poverty or other reasons, one felt that the parents' funeral was not a grand one. Later, when the children and grandchildren became rich, they chose an auspicious day to hold memorial ceremonies on another occasion; or they chose another "Feng Shui" to rebury or move the grave (commonly known as " Buried”). It can be done as an ordinary event or as an official event. It mainly involves paying homage to the deceased, remembering the old man's kindness to him during his lifetime, reading out mourning words, praising the deceased, and making himself famous and wealthy. It is also called "paying tribute to the old man". Heart".
So, what is "Dianzhu"?
After a person dies, the children and grandchildren will make and write tablets and spiritual tablets for him or her. The tablets will be used for later sacrifices and offerings (some blanks are made in advance). The parents’ tablets (cypress wood) It is placed in a wooden seat with a cover, commonly known as the "God's Lord Building". It is said that it originated from the story of "Ding Lan carving water to practice filial piety" in "Twenty-Four Filial Piety". The spiritual tablet marks the coffin of the deceased and is buried with the coffin. It is particularly taboo to place the spiritual tablets and tablets in the same place or meet each other.
Some also briefly write the time of birth and death and a description of the deceased's life on the back of the tablet. The local emphasis is that the line of words written on the "tablet" of the deceased's surname and name must match the "生" or "老" in the five characters "birth, old age, suffering, illness, and death", and the word "主" in "神主" must fall. Among these two words, the word "生" is the most auspicious, followed by the word "老", which means that the number of words in this line must be 6 or 7, 11, 12, 16, 17, and so on.
"Pointing the Lord" is a ritual in official affairs. The process is as follows: the "lord official" is arranged in advance at a neighbor's home (pretend to be a "mansion"), and the dutiful sons line up to be greeted by the person who praises them. Lead, play drums and play music carefully, and play three times in front of the "chief official"'s door. The "chief official" goes out and performs a road salute. People are arranged in advance to pretend to be "eight-carrying sedan chairs", with "solemn avoidance" on both sides. Signs and banana fans, four colorful flags, gongs were played to clear the way, and they moved forward slowly. The "chief official" is polite and slow, and the filial son kowtows every five steps and bows every ten steps, accompanied by the crackle of cannons and drums. Behind him, there is one person burning paper, and another person scattering grains and "paper money", which is called "dispersing money". At the intersection, a disguised poor person will be arranged to stop the sedan chair and "complain". Back in front of the soul, the musician "reported the drum" three times; the cook wrapped a square of pork in a piece of red paper and presented it to the "chief official" called "Xian Yin", and the "chief official" rewarded them with money. After receiving the reward, the chef has to say: "I wish you a better career!" Wait for some auspicious words, and then "nod". Because all other words have been written on the tablet, family tree, or family photo, only the word "神" is missing the last vertical line, so the word "lord" is not written first. When performing the "lord" ceremony, it is used by the "chief official" The brush is dipped in cinnabar red to finish. The person saluting in a long voice shouted: "Tongyi Shen!" "Zhuguan" then added the word "Shen" one vertically; then shouted: "Click one Lord!", then added "Zhu", one point, collectively referred to as "To communicate with the gods and point the Lord". After "Pointing the Lord", some people also ask the "chief official" to give the child a red dot for good luck. The purpose of performing the "Pointing the Lord" ceremony is to use the "official authority" to enlighten the child. The dead souls can have dignity and magical powers in the underworld, so as to better protect their descendants.
Most of the above superstitious and mystical red tapes have been abolished, but mourning, paying homage, kowtowing and burning paper are all done. Wearing white and wearing mourning is still the main part of the funeral.