What is a funeral?

Funeral funeral refers to moving the coffin to the cemetery or funeral parlor. In the old days, before a funeral, there was a "nodding ceremony" ceremony in various places in Shanxi, such as Qin County, Qi County and other places. That is, someone is asked to use a cinnabar pen to add a little more to the word "王" originally written on the tablet, so that the word "王" becomes the word "主". Commonly known as "Becoming a Lord", it means becoming a god.

Encoffining means putting the deceased into a coffin. The time varies from place to place. Some people are buried 3 days, 5 days or 7 days after death. For example, in Dali County, Weinan, Shaanxi, people are buried in the morning the day before the funeral.

Precautions for funerals

During the burial, the son of the deceased should carry the body into the coffin. In Qin County, southeastern Shanxi Province, it is customary to wrap a red cloth around the head of the deceased, and then the eldest son holds the head, while 4 or 6 other people carry the body, and leave the house with the feet first and then the head.

Using blankets or umbrellas outside the house to cover the sun, Fushan and other places are called "not seeing the sky from above". When entering the coffin, the deceased's feet should be placed first and then placed flat inside the coffin. The linen shawl originally tied to the cuffs and trouser legs of the deceased had to be taken off at this time. In some places, a whip is placed in the right hand of the male deceased and steamed buns are placed in the left hand; steamed buns are placed in both hands of the female deceased.