I've only been to a couple of funerals in the UK. One for my landlady decades ago. I went out of respect even though nobody knew me there. Sat in the back while some people did some speeches. Don't even remember what they said and I didn't speak to anyone. The other was my father's funeral 5 years ago. My father wasn't religious so we arranged our own funeral based on what we wanted. We each came up and shared some significate memory of my father. I discovered many people who were in his life that I didn't know.
This was a very timely video for me. I was talking to a close Chinese friend of mine about my uncle’s funeral and how his remains will be handled after cremation. My friend told me that as a daughter she was not able to be buried with her family; that only sons are buried with the family. She was taken aback at how popular cremation is found here. I learned a lot more today from your video, thank you.
Lisa, I just lost my Jack Russell puppy dog of 13 years together. I cried over my dog like never before not even for my older brother when he died? My love for my dog was a strong bond. He traveled everywhere together! I buried my dog a week ago.😭💔
Dear Lisa, It’s always very sad to lose a parent, I’m sorry for you. I lost my mother a long time ago and it was a similar experience. Her funeral, of course was very different. Thank you so very much for sharing this insight. I have been talking to Chinese colleagues for many years but they don’t like to discuss this subject. They have been to a UK funeral but all I knew about Chinese funerals is that they spent time kneeling in the home. This is so informative and helps me understand their experience. I really appreciate you sharing this. Si
The funeral traditions say a lot about a society. In the west, we are rather pragmatic about it and I think we try to avoid a big fuss. My mother bought her funeral several years in advance - she was pleased she was getting a good deal by getting that year's price.
I found that Westerners are not afraid of death. In China, even if the patient is seriously ill, the doctor will not tell him, but only tell the family
Hello Lisa. Always good to see you. The Chinese funeral is quite elaborate. I find it fascinating.the ritual of coin in the hand seems to share similarity with other cultures too such as ancient Roman's needing coins placed on the eyes to pay a ferryman to carry the across the river to the underworld. The Roman's also had professional mourners too. I wish you and your family a wonderful day and good health ❤
Traditions are important to understand so we know what was important to our ancestors, and what they were thinking back in their time. It is also a way for younger generations to connect with the older generations when they come together for an event. Traditions also keep important and respectful activities alive in a society Thank you for sharing and Good Luck to you!
Agree but as someone who is half Spanish and Ghanaian let me just say Spanish Catholic funerals are the most depressing thing in the world 😭😭 You will see widows in villages who lose their husband and vow to wear full black for the rest of their life 😭😭 the absolutely dramatic and earth shattering sadness is just way too much for me. Meanwhile in Ghana it’s more a celebration of the persons life. It is solemn but joyous.
Wonderful description of the difference between Chinese and Western funerals. Each country honors the passing Soul in their own way, thank you Lisa for sharing your.
Hi Lisa. Sorry for you and your husband’s loss. In Northern England they used to have the deceased in an open coffin in the deceased home so family and friends could pay their respects. They also used to put pennies on the eyes of the dead to pay the ferryman Charon to take the deceased person across the Styx. This is from Greek mythology. They also have a wake to pay respects to the deceased person. In modern funerals the deceased person can request the mourners dress up in bright clothes etc. instead of black.
Hi, lisa. I was very interested in the slight differences in your funeral customs to my Husband's he is from Hong Kong. When my mummie (mother in law) passed, all the family met up at the family house, and we each gave out money in a special red envelope 🧧 from my mummie it had a pin put through it to indicate it was from someone who had passed. I bought a really lovely bag from it. Everything else after was western. 😱 Thank you for your views and comparisons. You make me smile😊 ❤❤❤ keep it up, and keep well. Julie chong.
Hi Lisa, in Hong Kong same. They have paper car, house, money. They burn it. After 7 year in tomb or ground, they dig up and clean bones, and put in pot. They call it Ching Ming festival. I live in New Zealand, just last month, the local Maori people lost their king. They had a very large funeral, called Tangi. After a week, they took the body on canoe down river, and reached the mountain. They carried the coffin up the mountain to bury the kingi with his family members. All human cultures have different funeral customs.
Good video Lisa....The pennies is still carried on. My friend was a grave digger and he would be given 2 £1 or £2 coins...This was to "send the deceased on their way"...He still has all the coins..About £200 in total...
Yes, I love the videos and the subtitles are great: all the right letters, but not necessarily in the right order, to rephrase that great Eric Morecambe quote.
Lisa, Feichang gan xingqu de wen hua. Ni de Yingwen you le hen duo gaijin, jia you :) It's amazing how Chinese funeral culture is similar to some African funeral cultures. In Africa, they would display the departed in the family home & people will mourn for 3 days, singing, praying, eating, drinking & dancing. Some people will even fake crying because if you didn't cry, you looked cold blooded as well as suspicious in some case so those who cried louder are seen as loyal family members & believe it or not, some people will jump up & attend to literally break their necks to prove their loyalty & or avoid suspicions. Then people will donate money to the family & how much you donate can also be prejudicial :) The money will be spent on more wine & foods & the cost of the burial. There are some bad drifters who don't even know the family but they specialise in just looking for a funeral place to come around & freeload on alcohol & free food that's some of the negative aspects of it sadly. In some dark cultures, the family of a dead husband will scold the widowed wife accusing her for causing the death her wealthy husband by whipping her like a slave yes in front of her grown children as a way to punish her. I've seen this particular culture in my own eyes & it's very barbaric but yeah tradition is tradition unfortunately :)
Chinese burial customs are overly elaborate and wasteful, rooted in superstition. While I will respect these traditions for my mother if she wishes, I will leave instructions for my son not to follow them for me. I prefer my body to be disposed of in the most ecologically efficient way, sparing him unnecessary expense and burden.
I've only been to a couple of funerals in the UK. One for my landlady decades ago. I went out of respect even though nobody knew me there. Sat in the back while some people did some speeches. Don't even remember what they said and I didn't speak to anyone. The other was my father's funeral 5 years ago. My father wasn't religious so we arranged our own funeral based on what we wanted. We each came up and shared some significate memory of my father. I discovered many people who were in his life that I didn't know.
Thank you for teaching us some of your Chinese customs. Very interesting!
Thank you
This was a very timely video for me. I was talking to a close Chinese friend of mine about my uncle’s funeral and how his remains will be handled after cremation. My friend told me that as a daughter she was not able to be buried with her family; that only sons are buried with the family. She was taken aback at how popular cremation is found here. I learned a lot more today from your video, thank you.
Lisa, I just lost my Jack Russell puppy dog of 13 years together. I cried over my dog like never before not even for my older brother when he died? My love for my dog was a strong bond. He traveled everywhere together! I buried my dog a week ago.😭💔
I’m sorry.
Dear Lisa,
It’s always very sad to lose a parent, I’m sorry for you. I lost my mother a long time ago and it was a similar experience.
Her funeral, of course was very different.
Thank you so very much for sharing this insight.
I have been talking to Chinese colleagues for many years but they don’t like to discuss this subject.
They have been to a UK funeral but all I knew about Chinese funerals is that they spent time kneeling in the home.
This is so informative and helps me understand their experience.
I really appreciate you sharing this.
Si
Lost my mum too aged 59!
The funeral traditions say a lot about a society. In the west, we are rather pragmatic about it and I think we try to avoid a big fuss. My mother bought her funeral several years in advance - she was pleased she was getting a good deal by getting that year's price.
I found that Westerners are not afraid of death. In China, even if the patient is seriously ill, the doctor will not tell him, but only tell the family
Hello Lisa. Always good to see you. The Chinese funeral is quite elaborate. I find it fascinating.the ritual of coin in the hand seems to share similarity with other cultures too such as ancient Roman's needing coins placed on the eyes to pay a ferryman to carry the across the river to the underworld. The Roman's also had professional mourners too. I wish you and your family a wonderful day and good health ❤
Thank you so much
Traditions are important to understand so we know what was important to our ancestors, and what they were thinking back in their time. It is also a way for younger generations to connect with the older generations when they come together for an event. Traditions also keep important and respectful activities alive in a society Thank you for sharing and Good Luck to you!
Agree but as someone who is half Spanish and Ghanaian let me just say Spanish Catholic funerals are the most depressing thing in the world 😭😭
You will see widows in villages who lose their husband and vow to wear full black for the rest of their life 😭😭 the absolutely dramatic and earth shattering sadness is just way too much for me.
Meanwhile in Ghana it’s more a celebration of the persons life. It is solemn but joyous.
Very informative, thank you, Lisa. Think happy thoughts - tell us about traditional birth customs.
Thank you, I'm fine, thank you for your advice, I will try to do one issue, where there is life and there is death, right? Haha
I learned something new today after watching this video. Thank you for sharing
Thank you.
Wonderful description of the difference between Chinese and Western funerals. Each country honors the passing Soul in their own way, thank you Lisa for sharing your.
Thank you
Most interesting, thank you.
Thank you
Wow Lisa, so elaborate.
I think I would be dead before making it through a ceremony like that.
Beautiful though.
Thank you
Hi Lisa. Sorry for you and your husband’s loss. In Northern England they used to have the deceased in an open coffin in the deceased home so family and friends could pay their respects. They also used to put pennies on the eyes of the dead to pay the ferryman Charon to take the deceased person across the Styx. This is from Greek mythology. They also have a wake to pay respects to the deceased person. In modern funerals the deceased person can request the mourners dress up in bright clothes etc. instead of black.
Hi, lisa. I was very interested in the slight differences in your funeral customs to my Husband's he is from Hong Kong. When my mummie (mother in law) passed, all the family met up at the family house, and we each gave out money in a special red envelope 🧧 from my mummie it had a pin put through it to indicate it was from someone who had passed. I bought a really lovely bag from it. Everything else after was western. 😱 Thank you for your views and comparisons. You make me smile😊 ❤❤❤ keep it up, and keep well. Julie chong.
Thank you
Great video, thanks for sharing.
Thank you
Hi Lisa, in Hong Kong same. They have paper car, house, money. They burn it. After 7 year in tomb or ground, they dig up and clean bones, and put in pot. They call it Ching Ming festival. I live in New Zealand, just last month, the local Maori people lost their king. They had a very large funeral, called Tangi. After a week, they took the body on canoe down river, and reached the mountain. They carried the coffin up the mountain to bury the kingi with his family members. All human cultures have different funeral customs.
Good video Lisa....The pennies is still carried on. My friend was a grave digger and he would be given 2 £1 or £2 coins...This was to "send the deceased on their way"...He still has all the coins..About £200 in total...
Subtitles were excellent.
Have a fun day
Thank you.
Yes, I love the videos and the subtitles are great: all the right letters, but not necessarily in the right order, to rephrase that great Eric Morecambe quote.
Lisa, Feichang gan xingqu de wen hua. Ni de Yingwen you le hen duo gaijin, jia you :)
It's amazing how Chinese funeral culture is similar to some African funeral cultures. In Africa, they would display the departed in the family home & people will mourn for 3 days, singing, praying, eating, drinking & dancing. Some people will even fake crying because if you didn't cry, you looked cold blooded as well as suspicious in some case so those who cried louder are seen as loyal family members & believe it or not, some people will jump up & attend to literally break their necks to prove their loyalty & or avoid suspicions.
Then people will donate money to the family & how much you donate can also be prejudicial :) The money will be spent on more wine & foods & the cost of the burial. There are some bad drifters who don't even know the family but they specialise in just looking for a funeral place to come around & freeload on alcohol & free food that's some of the negative aspects of it sadly. In some dark cultures, the family of a dead husband will scold the widowed wife accusing her for causing the death her wealthy husband by whipping her like a slave yes in front of her grown children as a way to punish her. I've seen this particular culture in my own eyes & it's very barbaric but yeah tradition is tradition unfortunately :)
That’s interesting
I heard about more Christians in China nowadays
Yes , a lot of. But Most of them are in homes, not churches. Churches have now become tourist attractions
Chinese burial customs are overly elaborate and wasteful, rooted in superstition. While I will respect these traditions for my mother if she wishes, I will leave instructions for my son not to follow them for me. I prefer my body to be disposed of in the most ecologically efficient way, sparing him unnecessary expense and burden.