Taboos about the death of an old man and a baby

In the eyes of many people, death is a very scary thing. Although death is something that everyone has to face, there are serious taboos about death among the people in our country. When an elderly person in the family dies, there are many things that need to be paid attention to. There are many reasons and reasons for these taboos when they are spread. In fact, people know in their hearts that death is a very sad thing, but they also hope to bring some good wishes to people.

Taboos about the death of an old man and a baby

1. Because people generally believe that people in mourning carry bad luck, they should avoid attending any occasions related to gods and celebrations, such as building temples, installing stoves, or weddings and banquets. Otherwise, under the influence of the evil spirit of those in mourning, the temple construction will be ineffective, or the relationship between the newlyweds will be in discord. If the mourners come into contact with the mother or baby, it will cause the mother to have a difficult delivery or the baby to die.

2. Due to the principle of "Zi and Wu clash, and metal and wood restrain each other", if the deceased was born in the year of Zi, then no matter whether the deceased's relatives or friends were born in the year of Wu, they cannot attend the funeral ceremony. In addition, pregnant women and infants are also forbidden to attend funerals, for fear of being contaminated by bad luck.

Other taboos in folk funerals

1. Avoid the coffin bearers saying the word "heavy" during a funeral:

During the funeral procession, the people carrying the coffin should remain silent and avoid saying the word "heavy". If you blurt it out carelessly, something unexpected may happen, such as the coffin becoming heavier and even harder to lift, or the lifting handle breaking while moving, causing the coffin to fall to the ground.

2. Avoid crying during the coffining process and dropping tears on the deceased:

During the funeral ceremony, the deceased's relatives and friends should remain calm. It is taboo to let anyone cry at this time, otherwise the deceased will be reluctant to leave, and his soul will not be able to ascend to heaven, but will remain in the funeral home. If you accidentally drop tears on the deceased because of crying, the deceased will be attached to the human world and will not be able to be reincarnated.

3. Avoid funerals in July:

July is generally regarded as the Ghost Month by the people. At this time, the gates of the underworld are wide open and many ghosts are exiled to the underworld. If the funeral is held in July, it may attract more ghosts, causing more evil spirits, which is more unfavorable to the bereaved family.

4. Avoid cutting hair or shaving beard during mourning period :

According to folk customs, during a funeral at home, relatives cannot cut their hair or shave their beards. It is generally believed that this is to express extreme grief and sorrow, so that one cannot care about one's appearance. Another purpose is to ward off evil spirits. By dressing unkemptly, one looks different from usual so that ghosts and spirits cannot recognize him and thus avoid being disturbed.

5. It is taboo to die without relatives around

In the old days, people attached great importance to passing on the family line. They believed that when an old person died, there must be descendants present so that when the old person passed away, there would be someone to see him off and he would not be alone; the old person would not have to worry about anything in the underworld and his soul could rest in peace. It is the greatest blessing if an elderly person dies with all his relatives present. According to legend, the Bai people believe that when an elderly person dies in the arms of his or her children and grandchildren, it is the children and grandchildren's way of repaying their kindness in raising them, commonly known as "receiving qi."

6. It is taboo to let the deceased die naked

In many places in the north, it is customary to dress the deceased in burial clothes before he or she dies. The deceased cannot be left naked. Therefore, in the old days, when elders reached a certain age, their children and grandchildren would often prepare burial clothes for them in the leap year so that the elders could look after them and feel at ease.

The number and texture of funeral clothes are very particular. The number of pieces should be odd, such as five, seven or nine, and even numbers should be avoided for fear that the calamity will come again. Satin should be avoided as its material has the same pronunciation as "duan zi", which means "broken son". Silk should be used instead, as "silk" and "chou zi" have the same pronunciation, which means blessing future generations with many children and grandchildren. Funeral clothes cannot be made of fur for fear of being reborn as an animal in the next life.