Funeral Argus Article

Along my 25-minute commute through the plush farmland of Taiwan, I have encountered many bizarre sights. These include, but are not limited to, an out of control ditch fire, public indecency, and more abused and abandoned animals than I would ever want to see. But, the most intriguing encounter happened during an early morning in late March. I saw what appeared to be a skeleton being removed from a grave. Throughout the day, I tried to dismiss the thought from my mind, but couldn’t seem to shake the idea of a grave being disturbed. Needing to share this experience with someone, I decided a Taiwanese colleague might give me insight on this experience. Not only did I learn why the grave was being dug up, but I also learned about an important Taiwanese holiday that was happening in a few shorts weeks; Tomb Sweeping Day.

Before I get into my findings, I have to admit that I’m not a journalist. This is my first time interviewing people for the sake of an article. I did not get the responses that I expected. I interviewed, or attempted to interview, a number of Taiwanese regarding this Holiday and its traditions. I also sent out quite a few emails to various individuals that I have befriended during my time here. Hardly any one wanted to talk on the subject. A few emails finally trickled in but only a fraction responded. I recently found out that Taiwanese people do not like to talk about death or dying, so my questions probably made them uncomfortable. I do, however, appreciate those few friends that did reply, and give them credit for helping me on this challenging article.

I was told that the rituals for funerals vary greatly among families in Taiwan. What holds true for one family may be completely different for another. This could be caused by the vast separation of traditions and the relatively new culture being ushered in by the younger segment of Taiwanese. Or, it could be a product of the wide range of religious practices found on the island. The pre-funeral and funeral practices seem to be similar for most families, but the burial or cremation process differ from family to family.

When a loved one passes on, there are many traditions that families will follow to honor the deceased and prepare for a funeral. The funeral is typically 2-3 weeks after the death. There are many reasons for this. The family must seek the counsel of a Buddhist astrologer in order to select a burial date that will not conflict with any Chinese superstitions. During these 2-3 weeks, the body is usually kept at the house where friends and loved ones can pay their respects and pray to the deceased.

In the Chinese culture, mourners literally “pay” their respects by bringing coins in small envelopes and dropping them in a basket near the casket. This money goes to the family to help with the cost of a funeral (10,000 USD), or will go to an organization or temple. During the mourning time the family members are temporarily vegetarians. (in Taiwan this means more than refraining from meat, also garlic, onion, and any spices). This time gap between death and the funeral concerned me, and I received conflicting information on how the body is kept in the home. Sometimes it is kept in a bed, and other times there is a refrigerated casket. Again, I think this depends on whether the family follows traditional practices, or has accepted modern substitutions. In addition to the body remaining at the home, a “party” tent is placed at the entrance of the house with large colorful flower arraignments, and a small shrine. Incense burns at all hours of the day for the deceased, and all the lights at the home are left on until the body is buried or cremated. I have passed by many of these tents, and there are always family members praying at the shrine, and typically several women folding paper lotus flowers. In the process of writing this article, there was a funeral held outside the gates of my school. For two entire days, my classes were disrupted by a man on a (very) loud speaker chanting or singing. People came and went on the first day, and there was a sort of organized service on the second day.

The paper lotuses represent a clean and sacred paradise, and are an essential symbol in the funeral. On the other hand, most families gather, discuss and share the feelings with each other by folding lotuses together. While the family members are folding the papers, which will be burned later, other family members come and go to worship the gods and the deceased. This happens twice a day for immediate family members.

When it is time for the actual funeral service it is held in the tent that is set up outside the house. The street is usually blocked off for a few days after the tent has been erected. I did not get information about the actual funeral from my friends, but I have witnessed enough of them in the last year that I think I can recreate them for you. The sounds and music is the first indication that there is a funeral. There is typically music or chanting heard throughout the town because of temple celebrations or worshipping, but this music is different, it’s more drumming and somber singing. The family will hire professional criers to attend the funeral. Sometimes they even hire other people to make the funeral bigger. These criers use a microphone and, from what I’ve heard, can get quite obnoxious and distracting. They are simply there to make the noises of a mourning family. As stated above, the service is held at the deceased house, and from there a parade (on foot) will follow the hearse to either the burial site or the crematorium. The immediate family wears white robes with white pointed hats (similar to a costume once worn by white supremacists). There is sometimes an entire band marching with the family. Incense is burned while marching, and it is a very slow procession. I have had to reroute my drive to work several times because of a funeral parade.

Because Taiwan is a small island, most families chose cremation. But there are still traditional options of burying. Either way, there are still rituals to be held in order to send the deceased to the afterlife. A “bonfire” is set with the paper lotuses, fake “ghost” money, even clothes and personal necessities. This fire is believed to send the items with the soul so that they will survive in the afterlife. For weeks after the internment, food is set by the grave so that the deceased doesn’t go hungry.

Remember that Taiwanese holiday, Tomb Sweeping Day, mentioned earlier, the event that initially sparked my curiosity on this morbid subject? It was held in mid-April, and is celebrated according to the Lunar Calendar. This is when families visit the graves of their loved ones to worship the dead and clean up their grave site. Let me back track and give some insight on the grave site. There are not cemeteries like we are used to. Sometimes in the middle of a farmer’s field, the farmer’s parents are buried. I have seen hillsides with several gravesites, and I have seen graves that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. It all depends on where a family can get a small plot of land. Obviously, there are no ground keepers. So, once a year, the family cleans up the grave, mows the overgrown weeds, and plants a few flowers. Something I noticed after Tomb Sweeping Day was small papers set on top of the grave. In the picture, you will see that graves are above ground and the top is a dirt mound. On top of that mound was up to twenty papers, held down with stones. {put here the significance of the paper on the mound, after talking to teacher with MayMieo}

If the buried body has been in the grave for ten years or more, it is time to dig up the skeleton. This is what I observed that morning in March. The bones are dug from the grave and taken to the crematorium. The ashes are then stored in a building that keeps the ashes. So, from my understanding, everyone gets cremated eventually, some just rest underground for ten years first. I would like to know if the grave is reused by another family member, or sold to another family, but my sources did not know the answer to this question.

Because Tomb Sweeping Day falls at the beginning of Spring, families take advantage of the nice weather and typically plan a picnic or outing along with the cleaning of the tomb. The foods offered on Tomb Sweeping Day vary by region. In Taiwan, the most common dishes are the distinctive "grave cakes.” These snacks are used during deity worship and consist of an outer layer made of glutinous rice dough dyed red and imprinted by using molds with the design of a peach or a tortoise. They are filled with red bean paste or peanut powder.

Tomb Sweeping Day combines the people's reverence for their ancestors and for nature, and is a reaffirmation of the Chinese ethic of family values. Today, Tomb Sweeping Day is a time not only for worship and maintaining the tombs of ancestors, but also an expression of respect for the teachings and virtues of Chinese ancestors.

For more information on traditional Chinese and Taiwanese holidays, visit http://www.gio.gov.tw/info/festival_c/index_e.htm