The most interesting folklore

Chapter 19 The Most Interesting Funeral Culture (2)
There are also many customs in the folk rituals of burning seven.For example, in terms of activity content, the first seven and the second seven should be done by the son for the dead father (mother), burn paper money, and invite monks and Taoists to chant scriptures; the third and fourth sevens should be done by nephews and nephews; Ceremonies such as Wangxiang Terrace and Tomb Sacrifice; on June 27, the daughter or niece prepares wine and rice for offering sacrifices;In addition, there are other specialties in burning seven, such as "violating seven" and "touching seven". "Zeng Qi" is also called "Zu Tian Qi", which refers to the situation that the day of burning Qi falls on "Qi" (the seventh day, the seventeenth day, and the 21th day of the month).In some places, there are special etiquettes for violating seven times on March 28th, that is, prepare [-] small paper flags, a small paper umbrella, insert them on the new tomb, and bring a small bucket of water, and spray them around the tomb with your hands. Splashing, calling the ancestors respectful names, said: "The wind comes to wrap the flag inside, and the rain comes to hide inside the umbrella." In some places, if there is a seven-year-old criminal, a small paper flag corresponding to the age of the deceased must be inserted. "Moqi" refers to the situation that the seventh day of burning falls on the "eighth" (the eighth day, the eighteenth day, and the [-]th day of the month). A filial son must burn paper on the grave and pray: "Take you home" The reeds brought are put on the ground and dragged to the home, and then dragged to the cemetery after burning for seven days, which means sending the soul of the deceased relative back to the grave.In addition, some places also have some regulations on the time and number of people for each seven. For example, at [-]:[-] am on the first seven, every seven from the second to the seventh must be postponed for about half an hour.The number of people participating in the Burning Seven should increase every time. Those who participate in the Burning First Seven must participate in every seven. If they are absent once, it is considered unlucky.When burning the first seven, it is necessary to fully estimate whether the people who can participate in the burning to the seventh seven, the fewer the number of people burning the first seven, the better.

Among the seven sevens, May Seventh is the most important, so there are sayings such as "May Seventh is the Great Seventh" and "The third anniversary of May Seventh is not complete".There is a common belief among the people that the deceased will not know that he is dead until May [-]th, and will climb to the Wangxiangtai in the underworld on that day to look at his family members in the Yang world.Therefore, many places have the custom of setting up "Wangxiang Terrace" on the eve of May [-]th.In the Suzhou area, there is a custom of "calling for the fifth watch", that is, at the fifth watch of the day, the filial sons open the door and shout three times to the west: "Come back so and so!" .In some places, on the day of May [-]th, the mourners bring paper bundles, Ming coins and joss sticks to the cemetery to offer sacrifices.

15. Why is it said that "three years is a great sacrifice"

In addition to burning seven libations, the folks also pay special attention to the third anniversary of burning, and there is a saying that "three years is a great sacrifice".The third anniversary of burning generally has two contents: holding the tablet of the undead and offering sacrifices to the tomb.The former originated from the folk belief that the tablet of the dead should not live through three winters at home, so before the third anniversary, the tablet of the dead should be held and placed in the ancestral temple.In fact, this kind of ceremony is also a symbol of the bereaved family taking off their filial piety and announcing the end of the mourning.After the bereaved family chooses a good day, they will notify the relatives who obey the filial piety to come and take off the filial piety.At that time, tomb sacrifices will also be held, which are roughly similar to the specifications of burials. Monks and Taoists will be invited to chant scriptures, paper money and ghost vessels will be burned in the graveyard, wine and food will be offered, and libations and mourning will be made.After the tomb sacrifice, firecrackers were set off, and beams were put on for him, wishing him rest in peace.After that, the children no longer observe filial piety, and can take off their filial piety and return to normal life.

In any case, activities such as the seventh anniversary of burning and the third anniversary of burning are important libation methods in traditional folk funeral rites, which entrust the endless thoughts and best wishes of the living, and are also a kind of comfort to the deceased.

16. What happened to the third
According to folklore, after a person dies for three days, his soul will officially go to the underworld, or be welcomed by gods, Buddhas, or the messengers of gods and Buddhas.Not everyone can enter heaven after death, but if three days after the deceased's death, when the soul leaves, ask monks to recite scriptures and repent for him, or put a flame in his mouth to save evil spirits, then the deceased can redeem his sins and accumulate virtue to enter heaven.Relative to God, it is to welcome the soul of the deceased into heaven; relative to the relatives and friends of the deceased, it is to send the soul of the deceased into heaven.Therefore, this ceremony is called "welcome three", also known as "send three".When sending off three, some chariots and horses should be tied with paper for the deceased to use on the road.The flame opening is the most important etiquette in Jiesanzhong.It is said that Yankou is an evil spirit who suffers in hell.Folks hold ceremonies and place the three treasures, namely Buddha, Dharma and Sangha, so that evil spirits can be rescued and escape from the sea of ​​suffering.There is a Buddhist "Yoga Yankou" for Yankou, which is more commonly used.There is also the Taoist "flame mouth of the crock pot".In the funeral rituals, there are also dojos, whose function is similar to that of the flame opening. This kind of dojo is often built by monks and Taoist priests.Flaming outlets and dojos are now rare.

17. What are the etiquettes for expressing condolence at a funeral?
Condolence is a relatively important content in funeral customs, and the way of condolence varies with different customs in different places.When expressing condolences, the etiquette and method are determined by the distance between the deceased and the deceased.After receiving the news, the children of the deceased should first cry and mourn, then ask about the cause of death, and make every effort to go to the funeral as soon as possible.When they come home, they have to "look at the hometown and cry", and some married daughters even cry all the way.After arriving at home, first kneel down before the spirit, cry and mourn, and then stop until someone comforts you.Although the relatives, friends and neighbors of the deceased will not be as sad as the filial son, they should try their best to show more sorrow.When relatives and friends come to express their condolences, the filial son should welcome and accompany him.Relatives and friends who are relatively close generally have to formally mourn before the death until someone comforts them.If it is not a close relative or friend, you can burn a few pieces of paper money before the funeral.

When relatives and friends go to express condolences, they usually bring gifts or cash.The gift money is sealed with yellow and blue seals, and the words "respect x yuan" and "respect x yuan" are written on the blue sign in the middle.Gifts include plaques, elegiac couplets, elegiac curtains, joss sticks, paper money, etc.

18. What are the rituals and procedures before the traditional funeral?
The traditional pre-funeral rituals and procedures are mainly:
give obituary notice.After the death of the deceased, the family members should send out funeral posters to relatives and friends as soon as possible, or visit the door to announce the news of the death. For relatives and friends far away, they should inform them of the date of hanging and burial.Dutiful sons reporting funerals should wear filial piety clothes and filial hats, and cannot enter other people's homes.

funeral.In front of the coffin, the deceased will undergo plastic surgery, such as shaving his head, face, curly hair, scrubbing his body, wearing a shroud, etc., and then covering his face with white silk (or paper money in some places).According to folklore, the dead should not wear leather clothes and pants, otherwise the dead will be reincarnated as a beast.When dressing the dead, don't drop your tears on the dead, otherwise you won't be able to see the dead in your dreams.In some places, a wooden comb and a mirror are required for the deceased.Within 24 hours after the death of the deceased, a special person should choose a good time to formally move the body into the coffin.

In the human coffin, the deceased usually has his head inward and his feet outward.

keep shop.The family members of the deceased have to take turns guarding the side of the deceased's bed day and night to show their filial piety during the period from the death of the old man to the official release of the coffin. This is called "keeping the shop".After the deceased is put into the coffin, the family guardian sleeps next to the coffin, which is called "shouling", also known as "sleeping coffin". Traditionally, keeping the spirit is also an expression of respect for the deceased.

coffin.Because you want to choose Yoshida Yoshidi to bury the dead, you may have to leave the coffin at home, which is called "hanging the coffin" or "stopping the coffin". The custom of "putting the coffin in the hall" was common in ancient times, usually for seven days, and some even for more than ten days or even several months, but it is not common nowadays, even if the coffin is placed, the time will not be too long.

mourning.Living in mourning means that the descendants of the family members of the deceased will wear mourning from the moment the deceased dies.Men don't wear gorgeous clothes, but straw sandals (not common now); women have to take off their ornaments and colored clothes.Men and women wear filial piety clothes and hats according to their relationship with the deceased.During the mourning period (usually one month or one hundred days), a filial son cannot have a haircut, cannot have intercourse, cannot meet with relatives and friends, attend banquets, or enter temples.Especially before burial, these customs must be strictly observed, otherwise it will be unlucky.

19. Why is it necessary to "send paper money at the funeral and burn paper money at the grave"

Folk beliefs believe that after death, people will go to another world to live like people in this world.Therefore, after the death of a loved one, it is necessary to prepare for the "worship" to go to another world.For a period of time after the burial, paper money and paper bundles are regularly burned in front of the grave to show that money and items are sent to the dead relatives.

"Send Pan Tangle", also known as "Fa Pan Twist" or "Paper Horse", is a send-off ceremony held at the intersection of the village (there used to be a "Temple of Earth" in the past) on the night before the deceased's burial. Yanmas, boys and girls, calves, ingots, etc. were burned to show that transportation and travel expenses to another world were prepared for the dead.Within 49 days after the deceased was buried, the sons and daughters would go to the grave to burn paper and send money every seven days, which is called "burning seven" by the folks.In most areas, "[-]" and "[-]" were burned again.In addition to paper money, the burned items include "cornucopia", "money tree", "treasure cabinet", "Yuanbao", "long money" and other paper crystals. "Burning Qiqi", also known as "Broken Qi" among the people, the mourning period is over after burning Qiqi.

The concept of the existence of the soul is the root of the long-term existence and spread of the customs of "sending coils" and "burning paper money" among the people.When people die, they have to report to Lord Yama, whether they go to heaven, go to hell, or reincarnate. Although ordinary people do not necessarily know what Taoism calls the Underworld, there is a difference between life and death, yin and yang, and ghosts after death. To go to another world is recognized by many people.For the living, that unknown and strange world is far away, dark and mysterious.Therefore, according to the real life experience, people prepare "packages" and "transportation tools" for their relatives going to the distant underworld, and it becomes a matter of course.

20. Is making birthday materials a coffin?
In the past, there was a custom in the countryside that when a person reaches the age of 70 or 20,It is no more than [-] years before death, so prepare a coffin for yourself early.The date of playing birthday cakes is also particular: choose a good day in the year when there is a leap month.Some of the places where they are beaten are in their own homes, and some are played in wood factories or nunneries because their homes are small.Or carry it home, or just put it inside.

A carpenter who makes longevity wood is a specialized profession, which is different from ordinary carpenters.On the day of the fight, they should be provided with a meal of noodles in the morning and a meal at noon. In addition to wages, there are also money for happiness and peach cakes.The rest of the wood, except for the sheath (the parts on both sides of the wood, some people keep it for themselves, or give it to the wood factory for payment), are also owned by them, but sometimes the family can also ask them for sawing blocks, and keep Making small stools or small toilets for children is called asking for longevity (meaning begging for the longevity of the birthday person, hoping to live as long as them in the future).

Birthday cakes are a happy event, the same as birthdays. Relatives and friends should come to congratulate and send some cakes, peaches, candles, etc., which are regarded as gifts, but my daughters, in addition to cakes, etc., also need to send: That is to say, tumbler, the male is a male statue, and the female is a female statue), a box of paper evergreen and auspicious grass, a pair of golden flowers, and a big red crepe measuring three to four feet.If there is a married daughter, the money used will be paid by her alone, and if there are several people, they will share it equally.If there are no daughters or those who are not married, nieces or goddaughters should come out.If they are in financial difficulties, I will give them the money, and they will take it out.In addition, they had to give the carpenter some money.

When it is finished, put the irreversible, evergreen, and auspicious grasses in the coffin, cover the coffin lid, insert golden flowers in front of the coffin, and put red crinkle on the front of the coffin lid (save it Well, prepare the quilt that will be covered on the dead person when he dies in the future), and at the same time, firecrackers are set off outside, and the congratulators will congratulate themselves again.The meaning of using these things is: the inability to be overthrown represents the person, because it cannot be overthrown, so people will not die.Evergreen and auspicious grass mean longevity and auspiciousness.Wearing red crepe and inserting golden flowers is a sign of happiness.

21. What is the saying about the coffin of the dead
The coffins used to enshrine the dead are usually made of pine and cypress wood, rather than willow wood.Because willow trees do not bear seeds, using willow wood as a coffin will result in no children and no grandchildren.In some places, cypress is used as a coffin and some fir is added. It is said that a coffin made entirely of cypress will be hit by the sky (lightning).Longevity materials should be placed in a dry and ventilated place, the drier the better, it is said that this will reduce the number of diseases in the next life, otherwise, there will be many disasters and many diseases.Coffins of the Buyi people are not allowed to be made of pine and thorn trees, because the pine trees will never germinate if they are cut down. If pine is used as a coffin, the offspring will be cut off; , as pimples and thorns as a thorn tree.The coffins of the Hani people are called "male coffin" with the cover and "female coffin" with the bottom. Both are wooden troughs of normal size, the trough of the male coffin is shallow, and the trough of the female coffin is deep.There are two legs under the female coffin to support the coffin board. The head of the male coffin is generally engraved with a human head and a heart in the middle. It is said that this has the function of suppressing evil and avoiding evil, so that the dead will not become evil spirits. endanger the living.

22. What happened to the disaster day?
In the north, it is generally believed that after a person dies, there is a day of calamity. "Calamity" is a disaster. On this day, the spirits of the dead will turn into some kind of lust, and those who encounter them will definitely have a catastrophe.It is said that when the "calamity" comes out, everyone will die if it hits it, and it will wither if it hits a tree.As for when the calamity will occur, it is calculated by the onmyoji, usually on the third day after the person's death.After encoffining and before burial, according to the date and time of the disaster designated by the onmyoji, the bereaved family should open all the doors in the house, and all the old and young chickens, dogs, livestock and poultry in the family will leave the house.A sign indicating a certain day and time should also be hung outside the gate, so as to prevent others from entering by mistake and being contaminated with evil spirits.

It is said that the ghost of the deceased will not leave home until the day of calamity. When the day of calamity occurs, the spirit of the dead will be taken away by ghosts from the underworld.After about an hour, the family first threw a hook into the yard from outside the wall, and with a "crash", drove away the imp who hadn't left the house, and then entered the house through the gate with drums and gongs.After such a ceremony is over, "Calamity" is considered to have escaped.

23. Why should people avoid dying in a side bedroom?

According to ancient Chinese customs, it is taboo to die in the side bedroom, but to die in the main room, which is the so-called main hall and main bedroom.Folk beliefs believe that if the deceased died in the side bedroom, the soul of the deceased will stay on the bed frame in the side room, and at the same time, he will not be able to be reincarnated immediately, and will trouble his family in the future.Under such circumstances, some places have to burn all the beds (including the bedding) where the dead used to sleep, so as to promote the souls of the dead to ascend to heaven quickly, or ask monks to recite scriptures and give explanations.

Of course, the best way is to prevent problems before they happen, and "move" before the deceased dies. "Moving shop" has a lot to pay attention to, different regions and ethnic groups have different regulations.When moving the store, if the dying person still has elders alive, generally they cannot move into the main hall, but can only be moved to other side rooms; It can still be moved to the main hall.When the underage children die, they can only spread some straw on the floor of the dormitory in the side room and move it over it.

(End of this chapter)