China has a vast territory, and there are great differences in customs and habits. It is said that a hundred miles is different from customs, and ten miles changes the rules. Xiaobian is a native of southwestern Shandong. In ourplace, the old man died. According to the old tradition, the whole funeralprocess is like this.

Atpresent, most new funerals last for three days. Here are the details in chronological order.

Section 1: The first day

First, wear a shroud

When aperson is critically ill, wear a shroud before he dies. If the husband and wife die first, the shroud is odd; If the husband and wife are both dead, it is even to wear shroud. Seeing cotton at both ends means “taking cotton (sleeping) as security”.

Second, burn the back girdle

The ancestors took their last breath on the coffin bed, and the childrenput theprepared back girdle on the threshold (withpaper money ingots in it) and set it on fire. At the same time, I chanted, “golden couple, come back to carry the bag, and go west to the road, so that you can wait on it.” And call on the dead (father, mother) to look after the money, use it when it is needed, spend it when it is spent, and never wronged yourself. Go all the way, and the celestial world will settle down. You can’t mourn and cry until you burn your back.

III. Throwing money

Throwing money into the mouth of the deceased by the eldest son means “treasure in the mouth” with auspicious meaning.

Fourth,put cakes and bran

After the deceased died,put a bag of bran and a bag of small round cakes in the hands of the deceased respectively, and read a song at the same time: “When you go to Ant Mountain, the bran will be scattered on both sides. Go to the evil dog mountain and spread the cakes on both sides. ” Make the deceased have a safe journey on the way to the nether world.

5. Tie the tripping rope

After death, aperson will be dead on a coffin bed, and his feet will be tied with a hemprope toprevent the corpse from being blown up. Untie it and remove it when it is time to say goodbye or die.

VI. Cover your face withpaper

Cover your face with apiece of whitepaper and cover it from the head down. Because his face looks ugly after death, so as not to make his relatives sad or afraid.

VII. Putting Invisible Grass

Invisible Grass is a handful of straw, which isplaced in front of the bed in a triangle.

Eight, burning thepaper upside down

It means giving money to the deceased and making relatives cry.

IX. Making upside-down noodles

Make a bowl of noodles andput them in front of the coffin head, called upside-down noodles, and insert apair of chopsticks obliquely for the deceased to eat.

10. Light the ever-burning lamp

Put an oil lampin front of the coffin to light the way for the dead, from thepoint until the oil is completely extinguished, and no oil can be added.

XI. Hanging clothes

Set upa broom on the north wall of the hall, hang a dress worn by the deceased on the broom and burn it when buried.

XII. Put grain

Put a bag of grain behind the coffin, open the mouth of the bag and lean against the coffin. When carrying the coffin, the grain will naturally spill, and the longer it is spilled forward, the better.

XIII. Cutting agepapers

Cut as manypairs as the deceased is, and hang them on the alley with the crutch of the deceased, with the male left and the female right, to show that the family is dead, and the neighbors come to hangpapers. Burn it when you quit the spirit the next night andput on a square white cloth.

XIV. Making mourning clothes

As the main members of the filial family, they tie their waists with hempand wear Dai Xiao hats.

XV. Set upa Lingpeng

Set upa Lingpeng outside the hall, set upincense tables,place sacrifices and set upa memorial tablet. Hanging a bamboo curtain in the middle,placing aportrait, like writing a big word “drink” in whitepaper, like writing a funeral couplet on the side.

XVI. Write the memorial tablet

Father’s spirit: (written vertically in the middle), therefore, it is obvious to test X’s taboo++the spiritposition of the eldest brother (a taboo word is written in lowercase at the lower right of thepublic character, and X is the father’s surname). Mother’s spirit: A, (written vertically in the middle), therefore, it is obvious to swear by AX. X is the mother’s surname)

XVII. Writingpaper banners

Paper banners mainlyplay a role in attracting golden couple’s treasures and attracting souls to the grave.

Description:

1. Paper banners are three strips, with 20 cm left on the topand the rest cut, with a length of one meter and a width of 24 cm. The two banners on both sides are 6 cm each and the middle one is 12 cm.

2. Punch a hole in the yellow flag with hempblank and tie it to a slender willow stick more than one meter high.

3. The eldest son smashed the basin and held the memorial tablet, and the second son made apaper banner. After going to the forest for burial, he inserted thepaper banner on the grave.

XVIII. Writing Su Lian

Holding my father: One day, the rain and snow withered the Toona sinensis trees, and the mountains were full ofpeople who were miserable (the dew made them sad)

Tears spilled on the ice, and it was sad and lost, and my father returned to the east with no one to rely on (I held thepain). If you are in mourning, you need topost.

Post forparents’ funeral:

Twenty, burn the closingpaper

Burn the closingpaper every night when you close the door, and burn the openingpaper when you open the door in the morning.

Section 2: The next day

1. Go to the forest to ask God

On the afternoon of the day of the mourning, the deacon led the dutiful son to hold the medal and go to the forest to ask God. When he went to the forest to burnpaper, the deacon said, “When you light incense, God knows, and when you smell it,please take your seat and go home for a drink. Dare to tell. ” The dutiful son kowtowed four times, got up, bowed, and went home with the memorial tablet.

Second, soothe the nerves

Please ask God to go home, join the new funeral, and filialpiety will soothe the nerves, with apat and four taps.

Third, the funeral ceremony

On the evening of the funeral ceremony, after all the guests have arrived, especially after the main relatives and friends have seen that there are no objections, they can enter the funeral ceremony. Before the funeral, first lay the bottom of the coffin with cotton wool, and at the same time read the song of laying materials three times: “Gold on the head, silver on the foot, and future generations will be noble.” A mattress is laid on the cotton wool, and nine copper coins areplaced on the mattress, which is called “backing money”. One under the head, one under each shoulder, one under the waist, one under each crotch, one under each hipand one under each foot. Thenput thepillow away and carry the body into the coffin. Uncover thepaper covering the face, untie the tripping rope, dress and crown the deceased, and make a final examination of the whole body.

Fourth, clean face to face

Scoopa bowl of clean water to symbolically wash the face of the deceased. When washing the face, read the clean face song: (male) “Water the flowers and roots, leave children and grandchildren, only stay rich, notpoor, and future generations will be Dont Ask For Help.” (female) “Plant flowers and stay glorious, leaveprostitutes and nephews; Plant flowers and leave flowers, stay more blessed, stay less afraid, and stay rich andprosperous. ” After cleaning the face, buckle the bowl in front of the coffin, and the coffin bearer will stampit with his feet when going out for a funeral. Then take a symbolic look at the face of the deceased with a mirror to satisfy the deceased, and then break the mirror hard. When everything is settled, the triprope is broken and the hand rope is untied, and the whole family finallypays tribute to the remains. At this time, you are not allowed to cry, saying that it is toprevent tears from dripping on the body, and you can’t be reincarnated in the next life. With the coffin lid half-closed (the headposition is left blank), it is convenient topay tribute to the remains. Then burn incense and burn the funeralpaper together, and the whole family mourned.

V. Seal the coffin mouth

Before waking up, the man who died at the end of his life watched the body from his mother’s family and the woman who died at the end of her life from her mother’s family, and observed whether there was anything wrong with the coffin body.

Then, the eldest son or grandson holds a tray on his head, which contains a new towel, 2 boxes of top-grade cigarettes and cash 20 yuan (wrapped in a towel). Kneel in the center of the door, facing the coffin, and stand upuntil the next of kin hits the first button. Give the tray to the buckle carpenter.

Set the coffin buckle and tie it with five-color thread. Sprinkle five-color grain on the coffin after the closure. Xiao Jia burst into tears on the spot.

VI. Ci Ling

On the first night of the funeral, a memorial ceremony was held in the Lingpeng, called Ci Ling. First, the filialpiety family made twelve rites of farewell to the spirit, and then relatives and friends took the rites to make the ceremony.

VII. Send three (send travelling expenses)

The dutiful son walked around the coffin holding the memorial tablet and shouted “Daddy (Mother) gets on the sedan chair and goes”. Out of the house, the two busypeople held the cards in the front with chairs, and the relatives and friends of the filial family and Shanglin held the fragrance in the back. When they reached the crossroads or the village head, they firstplaced the chairs in the south of the crossroads. The deacon said: The filial family worships Suzaku God in the south, worships the fire in the south, and the descendants send guys from generation to generation, and the deadpeople walk around the fire; Then he turned the chair to the west, and the deacon said: filialpiety worships the White Tiger God in the west, and second, worships the western Geng Xin Jin, and the descendants will send ten thousand gold from generation to generation, and the dead willpick upthe gold; Finally, the chair was turned to the north, and the deacon said: filialpiety worships the Xuanwu God in the north, and three worships the water in the north. The descendants are rich and wealthy, and the dead walk along the river.

This is to worshipthe fourparties, but actually only threeparties, not the direction from home. There is also a saying that the direction of woodland does not worship.

After the ceremony, the deacon invited the memorial tablet to the sedan chair. After the memorial tablet wasproperlyplaced, Xiao got upand mourned as soon aspossible, surrounded the sedan chair from left to right, and sprinkled the fragrance in his hand on the topof the sedan chair and turned back to the coffin shed. On the way, the children could not cry any more. Someone else burned the sedan chair.

Section 3: Day 3

1. Sacrifice to the ancestors

On the morning of the funeral, the first son or grandson of filialpiety carried the rooster to the forest to break the ground, and the ancestor worshipceremony was held before the ground was broken. After a bow, the dutiful son kneels in front of the ancestral grave, offering incense, offering libation and burningpaper, and kowtows four times. The deacon said, “The Yin House in Lintang is quiet. Today is the great sacrifice of the death of the ×× Fu (Tai) Jun, and he was buried at the side of his ancestors. Before returning to his ancestral home,please inform him of the ceremony, and be safe in nine springs. Dare to tell him.” The dutiful sonprayed: Grandpa, grandma, grandpa, grandma, my father (mother) haspassed away, and I will stay with you today. Please take care of your old man in the future.

Second, dig the grave

Filialpiety first draws a rectangularpit on the grave, burns incense andpaper, and the filial sonpunctures the cockscomb with a needle, drops blood into a small handleless wine cup, and thenpours wine on the four corners and the middle. Then the filialpiety family drew a cross on the inside of Jiacheng with a chicken mouth, and the deacon said: The sky is round, thepeople are always in line, and today the ground is broken, and Pepsi isprosperous. Gunfire andplay music! Then the filial family dug a shovel of soil in the four corners and the middle, and when they came home, they bowed their heads to the grave digger to thank them.

Grave burial method: when a man doesn’t see his wife, the geese line upand get out of the way. Only the ancestral graves can be buried with coffins (the so-called coffin burial refers to apolygamous man with his wife living on both sides), and his descendants can only be buried with coffins (the so-called coffin burial refers to apolygamous man with his wife living inside). The heads of the two coffins in the couple’s grave should be aligned, with a vertical foot in front and a horizontal foot in the back.

There are three main burial arrangements:

Figure 1: Big Zhao Mu (with children and grandchildren)

Figure 2: Xiao Zhao Mu (with his wife and children)

Figure 3: Taking the belt to the temple

III. After the guests arrive, they must register at the ceremony table, receive gifts and receive filialpiety. Then the drinker waits for the memorial. If the bride’s family goes first, it usually doesn’t wait. If it’s time to kneel in the shed, you can tell the table so that you canpass first.

Sacrifice Bill

Specialperson shall keepthe account, remember it clearly and approve it, and hand it to the deacon in time after the reconciliation is correct.

IV. Greeting the Hanger

Put the money items brought by the Hanger as gifts or confessions on the sacrificial table first, and hang the curtains in front of the shed if any. Then the deacon led the dutiful son to welcome the guests, and went to the welcoming table, where he first made a confession. The deacon bowed to the table, and the dutiful son bowed to the table one by one, and stood upone by one. At this time, the guest stood still; (In someplaces, there is no section on offeringprayers), and then the guests are greeted, and the deacon bows to the guest’s head, and the guest’s head is also bowed. Filialpiety bowed three times, stood upand bowed one time, and the crane arched and waited. If it was an uncle, uncle, brother and so on, the crane should kneel half. Then the hanger followed the deacon until he reached the gate.

When I walked to the gate, another deacon greeted me, and the deacon gave me a “yes” and the waiter gave me a “yes”. When the hanger enters the shed, the deacon shouts “Guest is here” and another deacon shouts “Thank you”. At this time, the hanger is bowing and then kowtowing. At this time, the deacon burnedpaper. Peoplepulled theporter to stopthe mourning, then knocked three times, straightened up, turned back after the ceremony, and went out to the tea table to wait for the memorial service. This is hangingpaper.

If the hanging ceremony is held for a while, that is, the hangingpaper and the memorial ceremony are held at the same time, then do not leave the shed after hanging thepaper, but continue topay the memorial ceremony. Generally, the twelve worships areperformed. The specific methods are as follows:

Mourning the twelve worships

Stand in the left corner of the Lingpeng, and give a bow to the first deacon at the table. Stepto the center line of the coffin with your left foot, and then stepto the right corner of the coffin with your right foot, and bow to the first deacon under the altar, and the deacon will bow back. Then stepleft to the center line of the shed. It is a civilized andpolite action to bow to the two deacons above, with or without it. Let’s count the following twelve salutations: stand on the center line of the coffin shed, stepby step, stepby stepto the altar, kneel down to offer incense, kowtow beforeputting incense, and get upto the table. Then stepback obliquely to the right, make a bow, and then kowtow and bow four times. Take another stepobliquely to the altar, give a bow, kneel down again to incense, kowtow after incense, and get upand give a bow at the table. Then stepback obliquely to the left, make a bow, and then kowtow and bow four times. Stepupto the altar, kowtow, kneel down to drink a libation, and after that, the deaconpulled upand stood upwith a bow. Then salute while mourning, mourning until the ceremony is over. Take a stepback to the right rear, make a bow, and then kowtow and bow four times (you can also kneel down and knock four times, and get upand bow one time, which means you are lazy and bow twelve times). Sopolite. The deacon shouted “return the gift”, and all the tents bowed with mourning sticks. At this time, they immediately bent down to make a circular bow. If there is a need to cover the curtain, at this time, go to the left front and kneel down to mourn, and the deacon willpull the mourning and leave the shed.

A deacon greets at the shed entrance, and when the deacon gives a “yes”, the hanger returns. After this, the hanger can go to the table. If it is time to accompany the sacrifice, wait for the deacon to call “the guest who accompanies the sacrifice”, follow the deacon to the Lingpeng to send a salute and go to the forest together.

V. Sending a salute

Filialpiety and relatives and friends in Shanglin send a salute in the Lingpeng, which is generally twelve salutations.

(Somepeople arrange to “burn the sedan chair to see you off” at this time. )

VI. Wake up

Before waking up,please invite the guests who accompany the sacrifice to the forest to have some wine and fruit, and don’t go to the forest on an empty stomach. The deacon said, “Today is the great sacrifice of the death of the ×××× Fu Jun (female name is Taijun). Many relatives and friends have come to honor us, and the filial family has come to sit down.” Filialpiety is a bow, three kowtows, and a bow.

At this time, the girl bowed down in front of the mourning hall, blew the suona and took the swan, and the expenses werepaid by the girl.

Then, the deacon led the filial son to invite the guests to the forest with him. The deacon said, “The filial familyplease accompany the guests to the memorial hall with all their heart. The filial family bowed down, knelt down, kowtowed once, and then kowtowed, kowtowed three times, straightened upand bowed.” Go outside the gate and do it again.

VII. Funeral

During the funeral, guns are fired and music isplayed, and alcohol, tobacco and snacks areplaced outside the gate to entertain mourners (called “octagonal” in the south). Before the funeral, everyone should eat twopieces of “big meat” and drink a bowl of white wine. The deacon led the dutiful son to knock three times, and carried the mourner out of the coffin. The coffin was carried to the mourning frame outside the gate, and the filial family made twelve obeisances. When lifting the coffin, the dutiful son will “dropthe basin” heavily on the masonry, which means breaking thepot used in the dead. When apot falls, onlookers flock to grab the sacrifice. Whoever grabs more is blessed. The little one eats the adult, and the big one eats the longevity. The eldest son threw the basin, and the filial family led the way, three steps ahead and two steps back. This is called “welcoming the head”. Go to the road sacrificeplace and leave the road sacrifice.

VIII. Road sacrifice

Road sacrifice is a filial son’s sacrifice to the Road God, asking him to make way. Generally, twelve rites are enough for the road ceremony. The coffin wasparked in the middle of the street, the filial sons were lined up, and the hangers made sacrifices, including four, eight, twelve and twenty-four. (Someplaces arrange “reading the road guide” at this time).

IX. Burying

After burial, the deacon will show the filialpiety to the sons and daughters, and then ask the family guests to see if they have any comments. Finally, the deacon said, “Please don’t leave the heavy ones, and the filial family still has a thank you.” Filialpiety home a yi knock three times, got upa yi.

Then the tomb ceremony was held. After that, the deacon said, “Please stay, and thank you for your filialpiety.” Filialpiety kowtows. Filialpiety family threw hempand mourning stick in thepit, rounded the grave for a week, and left a little while spreading soil, wrapped it in clothes, went home after rounding the grave, andpoured the soil into the granary to bless the well-being of life.