Name of Ritual
Hei qiu 起旐
Description of Ritual/Practice
- Since family members are not allowed to be in front of the hearse, the son-in-law (considered half a son) has to lead the funeral procession.
- A 9 ft long banner (made with red cloth and tied to bamboo poles) that lists the names of the son-in-laws and the merits of the deceased is carried by the sons-in-laws as they lead the funeral procession.
- The letters on the banner are in black (if deceased is below 100) and red (if deceased is at least 100). The phrase on the red banner has a total of 22 words (following the formula for writing an ancestral tablet). The raising of the banner is meant to ensure descendants get to progress (upwards) in life.
- This ritual also contributes to the grandeur of the funeral procession.
Who practices it? Who conducts the ritual?
Family members, ritual specialists such as the nam mo lo
Is it still practiced now?
- After the funeral , the red cloth is usually kept by the Cantonese but burnt by the Hokkien. Practitioners have shared that the red cloth should be kept and used (e.g. as a sarong to carry babies to ensure good fortune for the descendants).
- Many choose to discard or burn the red cloth due to misconception that anything related to death and funerals can generate bad luck.
Other interesting notes
- Only 1 banner is used regardless of the number of sons-in-law the deceased may have.
- 1 funeral director offers the explanation that this current practice evolved from the ancient practice of Chinese Emperors sending their fathers-in-law on their last journey as Emperors should always be leading the procession. Meanwhile, a retired Taoist priest is of the opinion that this banner, with an imperial seal, is a gift from the Emperor to acknowledge the merits and contributions of the deceased. It goes without saying that anything that represents the Emperor has to come first.