Encoffining

The ceremony of arranging the body into coffin is named Encoffining, which includes the cleaning and farewell procedures for the dead. Then come the covering of the coffin. It is a tradition that the relatives should be attended with the word "hiding the covering" in progress. The eldest son is the one responsible for placing the body into the coffin. If the wife dies, only her relatives are "legitimate" ones for encoffining. In order to meet the need, the treasures of the dead must also be put in the coffin. Afterwards, the coffin should be set aside for and make offerings for the spirits of dead.

String("Fut")-holding rite

"Fut" is the string for gripping the coffin. On carrying the coffin to cemetery, the attendants should help to hold the "Fut" to show the respect. The situations can be classified into two folds: one is for loading the coffin into funeral carriages, and the other is for putting the coffin into the pit.

Wearing Chinese Mourning Clothes

In accordance with the traditions, there are different criteria for wearing Chinese mourning clothes, which should not be mistaken about:

White cloth - the same generation of the dead and relatives

Hemp cloth - the dead's children

Straw cloth - the dead's grandchildren Light cloth - the dead's great grandchildren

Yellow cloth - the children of the dead's great grandchildren

Red cloth - the grandchildren of the dead's great grandchildren ( Although Chinese opines the red as a fortune colour, since a man with 5 generation is very rare, it is considered as a "happy funeral" which implies red colour makes no conflict at all )

Gear

The adult uses grass bind round and the children employs hat-like wrap. In addition, male should have grass shoes while female should have cloth shoes. The men should wear Chinese mourning ball on left wrist and the women can put it on the hair. To be exact, there are 4 colours of showing grief: white, blue, green and yellow, which should be changed respectively according to time. Of course, such rites have been simplified for convenience.

* The Funeral Practice Of Maori in New Zealand

Tangihanga is the name of Maori funeral practice, in which meals, in particular BBQ pork, will be served for the relatives as thanksgiving. As death is perceived as a state of sleeping, the corpse will keep sitting for a few days. Besides, the dead may be buried in a temporary ground. After a few years, the dead should move to a permanent ground.

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