For example, different regions have different ways to deal with the same thing.
In rural areas, funerals will be held ceremoniously, because of the influence of folk culture, rural people will attach great importance to sending the deceased to the last journey of their lives.
In the eyes of rural people, people do not really return to dust after death. They think that people have souls. When a person dies, the soul will enter another world and will not disappear.
In that world, the soul of the deceased will face a brand-new life.
It is precisely because of this concept that rural people attach great importance to funeral arrangements.
It is also filial piety to hold a grand funeral after the death of an elder.
During the Spring and Autumn Period, funeral etiquette was very complicated and there were many complicated steps.
With the passage of time, funeral etiquette has been simplified, and only some etiquette has been preserved to this day.
The two funeral ceremonies to be introduced today have been preserved in the torrent of time.
1, send old clothes
Sending old clothes is a custom in some areas of Shanxi, China. When the deceased has just closed his eyes and his body is not stiff, he should quickly change into a shroud prepared in advance.
In some places, after burning incense and paper money, the son or daughter of the deceased will carry out the process of "sending old clothes" for the deceased.
In some places, the shroud will be changed for the elderly before they close their eyes, so as to avoid being difficult to change after being stiff. This situation is quite common.
As far as traditional shroud is concerned, there are many layers to wear, and there is another stress in this respect, that is, wearing odd numbers instead of even numbers, because even numbers are taboo in funeral etiquette and need to be avoided.
Shrouds are not only for the dead, but also some small details to pay attention to.
In some places, all the clothes worn by the deceased are not changed, but only a shroud is put on the outside of the clothes, and the key point is to wear the clothes backwards.
Some places pay more attention to it. When you die, you should take off all the clothes worn by the deceased and put on the shroud.
Old clothes will be burned so that the dead can wear them everywhere.
Some places will hang the old clothes of the deceased on the roof and burn them when they are buried.
There are only old clothes hanging on the roof all the time, without any treatment, and let them naturally corrode and disappear.
In different regions, the treatment methods will be different.
Others emphasize that when dressing the deceased with a shroud, you can't miss your hand.
2, playing hemp partner
After dressing the deceased, he must be combed, washed and groomed before being carried into the coffin.
There is also a custom in Wuzhai, which is called "beating hemp companions". Specifically, put some flour and paper money in the sleeves of the deceased's clothes and knead the deceased's hair into a ball and put it together.
In order to prevent these things from falling out, it is necessary to tie the cuffs and trousers with hemp rope, which is the so-called "hemp rope partner"
In Qixian County, Jinzhong, there is a different custom. When the local people do white things, they will put the "bite cake" on the left hand of the deceased. This is a string of cakes about the same age as the deceased.
The deceased should also put things in his right hand, generally choosing to put whips or floating dust.
After the deceased closes his eyes, he will wrap the burning ashes of tin foil with paper and put them in the arms of the deceased.
Finally, there is a link, that is, tie a hemp rope to the foot of the deceased. This rope is called a trip rope.
This belongs to the custom of individual regions and is influenced by local traditional concepts.
The local people believe that the soul will go to hell after death. They put paper money in the sleeves of the deceased and tin foil ash in the arms of the deceased, because the money used in hell is paper money and tin foil.
Put bread and whip in the hands of the deceased to beat off the evil dogs that may meet on the road.
In Qin county, this kind of cake is also called "dog-beating cake".
Some places will put a "mouth coin" in the mouth of the deceased, usually using ancient copper coins or coins.
This custom has been handed down from the past. At first, jade was used instead of coins, but it was usually a wealthy and prominent family.
Because jade is very precious, it is impossible for ordinary people to realize it, so they can only use copper coins instead.
In other places, whole grains or meals are stuffed into the mouth of the deceased, because the relatives of the deceased are worried that he will be hungry there, including burning paper money, paper men, paper horses, paper houses, paper clothes and other things, all in the hope that the deceased can live well there.
Summary: In the eyes of rural people, "death" is more important than welcoming the new, and beautiful burial has become a traditional folk custom.
These all contain the reluctance and nostalgia of the living for the dead, thinking that even if the dead have closed their eyes, they have not disappeared and their fate will be better arranged.