An Insight Into Bereavement Within China

As in many cultures, burials are taken very seriously in Chinese society. The prolonged mournings that arose from Confucius Chinese tradition are still the norm today, and those that do not follow that tradition as part of funeral proceedings, along with various other ones, are said to be risking the fortune and fate of the whole of the deceased’s family.

Once someone has died, their corpse will be cleaned, they will be changed into their best clothes, and their face and body will be covered with cloth. The deceased is then considered be to be appropriately prepared for the start of the funeral ceremony.

So, exactly how long does a Chinese funeral ceremony last for? Well, traditionally it lasts over 49 days, with prayer services being held every 7-10 days during that time, a final burial taking place as the concluding event.

At the final burial, mourners surround the coffin, with their exact position being dependent on their rank in the family. Children and daughters-in-law wear black, as they are considered to grieve the most, whilst grandchildren wear blue and great-grandchildren light blue. Blood relatives normally wail and cry loudly, as this is seen as a mark of respect for the deceased.

The coffin is then nailed shut, ‘holy’ paper pasted on it to protect the body from malignant spirits and the coffin carried to the hearse. With the vehicle driving very slowly for one mile, relatives follow with their heads touching the hearse, or with a white piece of cloth linking them to it.

The wake must last at least one day to allow for the offering of prayers, and a monk chants at night to ease the passage of the deceased’s soul into heaven. After the funeral all clothes worn by the mourners are burned to avoid bad luck associated with the death. The mourning period, symbolised by a piece of colored cloth worn on the sleeve, continues for a further 100 days.

How the Chinese deal with large scale losses of life is also different to how it is probably dealt with in your own country. A very deep and intense approach is taken, with the events following the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan being a good example.

A nationwide silence was undertaken for three minutes, with everything from the stock exchange to airports adhering to it. Thousands of people walked the streets holding photos of the deceased in the air, whilst others burnt money as an offering. All forms of public entertainment were temporarily cancelled, and all television presenters wore black for at least a day.

With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.

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