PR - Culture Research

Entering the coffin

Entering the coffin is an important part of the funeral, and it is necessary to ask the Taoist priest to calculate the time. It is said that the calculated time cannot conflict with the zodiac of anyone in the deceased's family, and the time refers to the time when the coffin is in the coffin. As for how it is conflicting, I don't know. Before entering the coffin, a special dresser put on a shroud for the deceased. There are seven layers of shrouds. In the so-called seven layers, underwear counts as one layer, single clothes counts as one layer, sandwiched clothes counts as two layers, and cotton-padded clothes counts as three layers. When entering the coffin, the whole family of the deceased prostrated and bowed to the ground. Taoist priests and special agents put the deceased into the coffin. After the deceased was put in the coffin, the family and relatives of the deceased cried for a long time while stroking the coffin. Finally, the coffin was built. When the coffin was built, all the family members and relatives of the deceased prostrated and bowed to the ground. There are family members who can't avoid the time when the deceased enters the coffin, so stay far away at this time to avoid being covered in the coffin. After the deceased was put into the coffin, the firecrackers were heard loudly inside and outside the house for a long time.

Ritual

The ritual is mainly Taoist priests turning off the lights. Before turning off the lights, Taoist priests transcribed the nine relatives of the deceased in a book according to the family tree. Then, according to the scale drawn up by the family of the deceased, the Taoist priest turned off the lights. Taoist turning off the lights is divided into four scales: two and a half lights, five lights, seven and half lights, and ten lights. Two and a half lights for one night, five lights for one day and one night, seven lights for half lights for three days and three nights, and ten lights for seven days and seven nights. The so-called Taoist priests turn off the lights, it means that the Taoists beat the gongs and drums, talk, rap, sing, and so on. Some sit and rap, others rap around the coffin. The sound of gongs and drums continued, and the sound of firecrackers outside the door also continued. Turning off the lights by the Taoist priest is a torture to the family of the deceased. No matter the day or night, the family members follow the Taoist's "Get up!" "Kneel!" The ritual also includes singing. While turning off the lights, let the troupe set up a stage to sing. The sound of gongs and drums is accompanied by the sound of firecrackers, and the stage is babbling, which is a lively singing. However, for the wonderful jokes, the Taoist priests who turn off the lights will stop to let people listen to the play and applaud. The ritual also includes storytelling.

Burial

The burial is the climax of the funeral. The date and time of the burial were determined by the Taoist priests, and could not conflict with the family of the deceased. To avoid conflict, the burial was postponed for several days. There are eight or sixteen people carrying the coffin. The host said "Get up!" As the coffin lifted off the ground, the sound of gongs, drums, firecrackers, and crying started loudly! Wherever the coffins went, road worshippers placed incense tables and fired cannons and incense to pick them up.

Dancing at the funeral

Striptease performances are popular in the rural areas of Handan, Hebei. Many funerals invite striptease girls to "enjoy", making the audience laugh and cry. After the host played the sad music, he immediately invited the striptease girl to dance. It is reported that a performance of two to three thousand yuan for a performance of this kind has become a trend.

Chinese folk traditions do exist in Chinese folk traditions called happy funerals and thick burials. The so-called thick burials have been passed down to this day, including the practice of superfluous activities at the funeral and the invitation of the troupe to sing night operas, but they are basically serious acts, similar to "Bao Gong Traditional operas such as "filial piety", but now some family members are gradually asking modern electro-acoustic bands and singers to sing live in order to add a lively atmosphere. In addition to banquets, friends and relatives who come to mourn are often arranged to play cards and gambling in the hall in order to increase the popularity of the scene.