The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-03-17
STRANGE FUNERAL RITES
Chinese Burials i'm Washington ard
the Attendant Ceremonies.
Food for the Spirit of the Departed.
Necessary to Enter the Domain of
Buddha With Full stomach
Chants at the Side of the Grave.

| Chinese funeral is a rare spectacle in
| Washington, and one of much interest
! Evil spirits are supposed to hover con-
| st4ntly about the home of the departed
I Celestial. or otherwise haunt him, unIess
/ sent hurrying away, frightened by the
| clashinS of cymbals in the hand OF the
! children of Buddha
II is the custom for Cinnamon to look
well to their dead. Food must be fnr.
1ished for the dead Celestial on his long
| journey home. Everything that would
! tempt Chinamans appetite is placed in
a huge basket and left beside his grave
In the dark hours of night when church
! yards yawn and graves give up thair
| dead, the departed spirits of Cinnamon
are supposed to stalk abroad. Despita
the unbelief of the skeptic. it is told tina,
IN San Francisco and elsewhere. as we'll
| provisions placed beside the grave hayx
| been known TO mysteriously disappear.
Just what method the spirits employ in
so novel procedure will always remain
mystery.
When Chinaman dies in Washington il
is the signal for a gathering of his coun-
trymen from all parts of the city. Ere
quentiy the Celestials view the remains
prior to the funeral. and all true sons of
7
quies. Wherever possible a Buddhist
priest is secured to conduct the services.
His method includes among other novel
performances, the scattering along the
streets taken BY the funeral procession,
of innumerable pieces of brown paper
Each piece is pierced in the centre with
a small hole, for it is the belief of he
Mongoliaus that such precaution viii
frighten the most dangerous of evil spir-
its. In the cemetery this paper is sat
tered until the grave is reached.
Just before the coffin is lowered and
while many of the deceased's friends ara
gathered about, a sort of ntany is chants
ed in rapid time. and all present wavs
their arms in a wild, seemingly unnatu-
raj fashion. AS the coffin is placed over
the grave wisps of scented paper on
which are inscribed words in the language
of the F'Iowery Kingdom, are lighted and
waved over the bier. Almost simulta-
reously the basket containing provisions
is placed beside the coffin. Several mo-
ments are then given to an odd service,
after which the coffin is lowered into this
grave. while the monotonous chant con-
tinues. y small portion of the food pro-
vided for the dead is then dropped upon
the coffin. and the work of filing up the
grave is begun. Al the head of the grave
is placed basket containing chickens or
other fowls together with apples or fruit,
while al the foot 4 large bowl of rice is
generally deposited for the use of the de-
parted.
According to Cinnamon far and wide,
this food is absolute necessity. III or
der that the body of the dead Monaghan
may be transferred to the domains OF
Buddha with full stomach. The spirit
OF the dead Celestial is then supposed to
he struggling to escape from the grave.
so far from his native land. In a month
or less the Celestials believe the depart
cd spirit of their dead brother will re-
uuire more subsistence. and consequently
Il fresh supply of food is taken to the
cemetery in due time and placed on the
grave. 1t will remain there several
hours. and then be removed or destroyed.
as its uourishing qualities are supposed to
have been exhausted by the body in the
grave below.
Despite the spread of civilization, sons
of China will always adhere to their
Quaint custom for the burial of the dead.
II originated thousands of years ago, and
will always continue.