Funeral custom in Shanghai

Shanghai is the most westernized place in China. The so-called Shanghai-style culture is embodied in funeral customs and has an inclusive flavor. Because Shanghai is an immigrant city, the older generation of immigrants mainly come from Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, so some funeral customs are similar to those in Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. The specific points are as follows:

1, waiting for death.

When the elder's illness worsens, children should stay at the bedside to show their last filial piety. This is called "waiting for the night". When the patient is dying, his family, big or small, must gather in front of the patient's bed and watch the patient die. As soon as the patient dies, the whole family will cry immediately and burn some paper and tin foil at the same time, which is called "burning paper".

2. Mourn?

After death, people should immediately send people to their relatives and friends' homes to inform them, and some even send "funeral notices". Undertaker wanted to take an umbrella with him. When he arrived at his relatives' home, he stood in front of the hall with his head down and his handle up. As soon as the host saw it, he knew that this person had come to mourn, so he immediately made some refreshments for the mourners and prepared "paper fire" (that is, candle paper and the like) for the deceased.

3. Blanking and sealing?

At night, the body will be moved from the door panel to the coffin, called "falling wood", and the whole family and relatives and friends will send it away with incense. The next day, if the children are working in other places, they should arrive before the seal. When the materials are sealed, the deceased should be given plastic surgery, so that relatives can see the last side. The whole family and relatives and friends should look around the coffin while flanging.

After that, put the martyrdom objects sent by relatives and friends into the coffin one by one and tell them that someone gave something to tell the dead. Nail the coffin lid here, commonly known as "nail the coffin", and then stick cotton paper outside.

4. Li xiaotang?

It takes three to five days for ordinary people to go to the funeral, and 7749 days for the rich. Serve food in front of the coffin every day when eating. If relatives and friends come to pay homage, the family will cry with them until the funeral.

5. Dojo?

After the establishment of the mourning hall, the families of the deceased should ask Taoist priests to turn over the dead. The Dojo is covered with images of "Ten Temples in Yamaraja" and "Three Buddha statues". Wearing sandals and linen, the dutiful son bowed down with the Taoist priest and kept burning tin foil and paper money.

6. Funeral

You lead the way, beating gongs and shouting, the dutiful son wears hemp Dai Xiao, and holds the coffin with a funeral stick, followed by relatives and friends. The number of people can be large or small, and the momentum can be large or small, depending on the social status and economic conditions of the deceased. There are also "road sacrifices" by relatives and friends along the way, and "boat sacrifices" on the water road. Anyone who is sent to the cemetery can get steamed bread.

7. Bury a circular grave

When the coffin was carried to the grave, the Eight Immortals (the person who carried the coffin) was willing to untie the rope after receiving the red envelope from the daughter of the deceased. This money is commonly known as "asking for money". At this time, the family has to turn around the coffin three times, and each person grabs a handful of soil in his hand and scatters it on the lid of the coffin, which is called "Pan burial". When the coffin is put in the grave, the Taoist priest will read the words on the grave, which is called "drinking funeral". His dutiful son will lead the whole family to the grave to add soil, lay paper and mourn, commonly known as the "round grave".