臺灣文化「譯」起讀

Death is an inevitable part in human’s "life. Taiwanese people consider "funerals" important because it is a way to show people's filial piety. Nowadays, after a person die, his/her family will ask the funeral company to help handle the funeral procedures.

Let me introduce the funeral procedures as follows. In the first 10 hours after a person dies, the family members get together and chant the scripture. The purpose is to help the dead person’s soul move to a happy place.

Afterwards, the undertaker of the funeral company will place the dead body into a coffin or in a freezer. Then a seven-day-mourning-period starts. Its purpose is to let the dead person’s soul go to heaven. During the period, family members of the dead person will prepare a tent-like area, so people can come to mourn. Friends and relatives of the dead person will give some money to the family of the dead person as a donation. The family members will also burn paper money. It means that the dead person will become wealthy in his/her afterlife.

After the funeral, family members will transport the dead body to the local crematorium and cremate it. The ashes are placed in an urn. Family members usually take this urn to a hill. Or they will take this urn to a place with nice view. On Tomb Sweeping Day, the family of the dead person will go to the place and bring some food to the dead.

Overall, Taiwanese funerals are complex and elaborated. Funerals often consist of various ceremonies. The procedures last for several weeks. The family members of the dead person usually spend a lot of money on the funeral to show their love and respect to the dead. People in Taiwan regard it as a kind of filial piety.