Chaozhou people’s custom of handling posthumous affairs

Chaozhou people have always dealt with death as if they were living. They handle funerals with great grandeur and no details, and even jokingly say "more than dead people".

Generally, the parents of the family If the deceased is old, he must first invite his master to go up the mountain and choose a feng shui site to build the tomb at a time. This is called "planting the foundation." After the construction is completed, the tombstone will be planted and the concubine's name will be engraved. What is worth noting here is the words on the foundation. They have to apply cyan paint first, and when either parent dies, apply red paint on the name of the parent. There is another way to distinguish whether it is a birthstone or a grave where the person is buried. The former only has the name of the parents, which is usually on the tombstone. In the lower right corner, it is written that a certain filial son died in tears, and most of the latter will indicate the birthday and death time of the deceased.

After the construction of the birth foundation is completed, the descendants will buy a coffin for the old man. The so-called "Chaozhou Palace" "In the past, there were many single rooms in Chaozhou folk houses, and there were attics separated by fir trees. Most of the attics were uninhabitable and used to store sundries and coffins. It was also euphemistically called "raising coffins to make a fortune". (Nowadays, Chaoshan people have supernatural events. Instead of building local houses with local characteristics, many people live in cement mansions. Funerals have been compulsory for many years. The practice of "raising a coffin to make a fortune" has gradually disappeared.) After the coffin is purchased, it is necessary to apply tung oil and put New Year's money on it every year at an auspicious time. , until it is put into use. At the same time, the shroud, handkerchief, and folding fan used by the elderly in the future must be prepared in the coffin. The shroud and these items are taken out to bask in the sun on the sixth day of June every year to prevent mold and insects