What is the Chinese custom when someone dies?

The traditions of a Chinese wake include: If the person has died at home, his or her coffin is placed on a stand within the home. If he or she died away from home, the coffin is placed on a stand within the home's courtyard. Wreaths, photos, and gifts are placed near the head of the deceased as it lays in wake.

What do you send to a Chinese family when someone dies?

White or yellow chrysanthemums are an ideal choice of sympathy flowers, as traditional Chinese customs state that white and yellow flowers serve symbolic needs for the funeral.

What does China do when someone dies?

After death, relatives and friends pour water over one hand of the deceased in a bathing ceremony. They then place the body in a casket and surround it with flowers, candles and sticks of incense. If possible, a photograph of the person is placed alongside and colored lights are hung around the casket.

What is the Chinese tradition for a funeral?

A Chinese funeral usually takes place over 7 days, but the period of mourning lasts for 49 days with weekly prayers recited by the family every 7 days. A final ceremony, signifying the end of the mourning period, may be held after 100 days.

What is the Chinese culture about death?

Death as bad In the Chinese culture, death is always regarded as a negative life event except a good death (“bai xi shi” or “white happy event” to translate it literally into English – that is death as a result of natural cause such as aging with a content life and no outstanding life regrets) (Zheng, 1999).

Here, Living With Dead Bodies for Weeks—Or Years—Is Tradition | National Geographic

How do you express condolences to a Chinese family?

Typical condolences messages like 'I'm sorry for your loss', and 'My thoughts are with you during this time' are quite safe. In Chinese, you can say something like 'jie ai shun bian'. Apart from the actual condolence wishes, you might find yourself having the opportunity to chat with the deceased family members.

What can you not do at a Chinese funeral?

Avoid wearing bright coloured clothing and refrain from attending weddings, celebratory events or funeral wakes of friends or acquaintances.

Why do Chinese mourn for 49 days?

A: The typical mourning period after a Chinese funeral is 49 days after death. Buddhists believe that rebirth will take place within the six realms within 49 days, depending on one's karma and one's last thoughts before death and rebirth, after death.

Why do Chinese turn away from Coffin?

Then yellow and white "holy" paper is pasted on the coffin to protect the body from malignant spirits. During the sealing of the coffin all present must turn away since watching a coffin being sealed is considered very unlucky.

What are some Chinese rituals?

How much money should you give for condolences?

Amount of money to give

One approach is to give as much as you can afford. Don't go into debt for the month because you gave all your available money to a grieving family. It doesn't make sense for your family to be shortchanged because you gave away all your available funds.

How much do you give for Chinese funeral?

Chinese funeral guests can be expected to give the grieving family money, 奠儀 (diàn yí), at the funeral or one day prior. The traditional gift is an odd dollar amount, starting at $101, in a white envelope. It may be handed to a family member or put into a donation box.

Are Chinese buried standing up?

Yes, that's right: China wants you to bury your loved ones standing up. As the world's most populous country, China has for years faced challenges ranging from land distribution to government regulation of family size to discourage overpopulation.

What happens on the 49th day after death?

During the 49 days after death in Buddhism, a lama, or spiritual leader, will traditionally recite “The Tibetan Book of the Dead” every day. The lama provides the dead with instructions on how to navigate the bardos before reincarnating.

What color should you not wear to a Chinese funeral?

Guests at a Chinese funeral wear somber colors like black. Bright and colorful clothing, especially red, must be avoided as these colors are associated with happiness. White is acceptable and, if the deceased was 80 or above, white with pink or red is acceptable as the event is cause for celebration.

What flowers are appropriate for a Chinese funeral?

Asian Funeral

In Asian funerals white or yellow mums are appreciated. In China, Japan and Korea, white chrysanthemums are symbolic of lamentation and grief. Yellow chrysanthemums are also a traditional funeral flower.

How much money do you give at a funeral?

Generally, it would depend on factors like your closeness to the deceased or family, your own financial ability, and the family's perceived need. The most common minimum amount is $30. From there, you can increase the amount if you'd like, as long as the initial digits make up an odd number.

Why do Chinese give candy at funerals?

A funeral is a bitter day, so the candy provides some sweetness to help take the bitterness away. The red envelope is yours to keep. You're encouraged to spend the quarter that day, to pass on good luck and good fortune to others.

Why are funerals 3 days after death?

Historically, funerals had to take place after just a matter of days, because of decomposition. With today's preservation methods, families have a bit more time to prepare and get affairs in order. This helps families make arrangements, and to pick a day to hold the funeral.

What do Chinese graves look like?

Generally speaking, graves in China look like earth mounds (for marking), some of which are planted with trees (which symbolize the continuation of the dead). The location of a grave is selected according to fengshui, an ancient art related to the law and order of the universe and the power of nature.

Do they sew corpses mouths shut?

A: The mouth can be closed by suture or by using a device that involves placing two small tacks (one anchored in the mandible and the other in the maxilla) in the jaw. The tacks have wires that are then twisted together to hold the mouth closed. This is almost always done because, when relaxed, the mouth stays open.

Is cremation mandatory in China?

The rule however gives leeway for religious practices and states that cremations should take place “except for special cases defined by national laws and regulations. The traditional practice in China is to bury the dead.

Do Chinese bury or cremate?

While traditionally inhumation was favoured, in the present day the dead are often cremated rather than buried, particularly in large cities in China. According to the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs (MCA), of the 9.77 million deaths in 2014, 4.46 million, or 45.6%, were cremated.

Is it rude to put money in a sympathy card?

Many people suggest to not put money into a sympathy card, but there are times when money is just what the family needs during a difficult time. Funerals can be expensive, and depending on the situation, a monetary gift can be the best offering for a grieving family.

What should you not do at a funeral?