Chinese Funeral Dress Traditions

Clothing is a big part of etiquette at a Chinese funeral

Etiquette must be observed at Chinese weddings. Fairly strict rules dictate the colors people should wear when attending the funeral of a Chinese person. It's important to know these rules before attending such a funeral because going against the etiquette can deeply offend the deceased's family.

Significance

At Chinese funerals, the colors people wear signify how close they were to the deceased. In Chinese culture, color is often used to signify emotion. For example, Chinese brides wear red, because red is the color of happiness. Red is never worn to a funeral, nor is jewelry.

The Deceased

The deceased is dressed in his best clothing and all his other clothes are burned. Chinese believe dressing a corpse in red turns it into a ghost. White, black, brown or blue clothing usually is chosen. The deceased's face will be covered with a yellow cloth and his body with a light blue cloth. Yellow represents being free of worldly cares while blue represents the earth.

Black

Only the deceased's spouse, children and daughters-in-law wear black at Chinese funerals, as their grief is thought to be the strongest. Wearing black to a Chinese funeral when you aren't supposed to can be highly insulting, as you would be saying to family members who can't wear black that your grief is stronger than theirs. Children and daughters-in-law also wear hoods of sackcloth over their heads.

Blue

Grandchildren of the deceased wear dark blue to the funeral. Great-grandchildren wear light blue. The deceased's siblings, cousins or aunts and uncles also may wear light blue to the funeral.

Bright colors

Sons-in-law, friends, co-workers and others attending the funeral wear bright colors, even white. Those colors signify that their bond with the deceased is not as strong as closer family members. Traditionally, even if a particular friend or son-in-law was extremely close with the deceased, he still wears bright colors.

References

• ChinaCulture.org: Chinese Funeral Customs
• Funerals & Flowers: Chinese Funerals