What are the taboos and requirements for dressing when attending a funeral?
Black is the color of mourning, and people often wear black clothes to attend funerals.
Chinese tradition wears white as filial piety. When you go to visit, don’t talk about happy things, don’t make loud noises, and don’t laugh. Mourning clothes are black and mourning clothes are white. Since ancient times, there has been a saying about wearing linen and wearing filial piety. Black is worn by those attending funerals as a sign of condolence. White is the true mourning dress worn by the deceased’s juniors. This is a traditional Chinese funeral etiquette and custom.
Clothes that should not be worn are shiny dark clothes, which are absolutely not allowed to be worn. Evening dresses, sportswear, casual wear, and dresses are also not serious enough and therefore cannot be worn.
Extended information:
In ancient China, funeral attire was important. When a relative passed away, mourning attire was required. When an elder passes away, the descendants must wear hemp and show filial piety. That is, wearing linen clothes and a white cloth on the head to express deep sorrow and mourning.
Mourning clothes such as wearing hemp and wearing mourning relate to the mourning system in traditional Chinese culture. This system has an obvious characteristic, which is hierarchy. There are different clothes according to the degree of intimacy. During the Three Kingdoms and Jin Dynasties, the Five Clothes System was established. Five different mourning clothes were stipulated according to the distance of blood relatives. The clothes were divided into Zhansheng, Qishi, Dagong, Xiaogong and Qianma. The length of mourning period, mourning clothes The thickness of the texture and its preparation vary.
According to regulations, the closer the blood relationship is, the more severe the uniforms will be; the more distant the blood relationship, the lighter the uniforms will be. At funerals, Chinese people avoid wearing gorgeous clothes. Family members wear sackcloth and wear mourning, which is called "Shangxiao". The colors of filial piety are white, black, blue and green. Sons, wives, and daughters have the closest relationship and must wear white cotton clothes. To wear filial piety, you wear a filial piety cloth on the top of the sleeve. If the deceased is a male, it is worn on the left sleeve, and if the deceased is a female, it is worn on the right sleeve.
The second characteristic of traditional Chinese mourning clothes is white. In ancient China, plain clothes (plain clothes, plain clothes, plain crowns, etc.) were used since the Zhou Dynasty, all of which were white. When Prince Dan of Yan State saw off Jing Ke, all the people seeing him off were in white clothes and white hats, which actually meant seeing him off. White cloth mourning clothes are still popular in rural areas in some areas. Miao clothes are white cloth clothes or linen clothes.
A large white cloth will be draped on the head of a loved one. White cloth is also sewn on the shoes. Ordinary friends and neighbors wear a white belt and a white cloth on their shoulders.
Baidu Encyclopedia - Black (Meaning in Culture)
Baidu Encyclopedia - Funeral
Baidu Encyclopedia - Filial Clothes