Guests at a Chinese funeral wear somber colors like black. Bright and colorful clothing, especially red, must be avoided as these colors are associated with happiness. White is acceptable and, if the deceased was 80 or above, white with pink or red is acceptable as the event is cause for celebration.
The color you should wear to the funeral will depend on the age of the deceased. If the deceased was less than 80 years old when he or she passed, stick with traditional mourning colors like navy, black, or white. However, if the deceased was over the age of 80, the color pink may also be worn.
Red is not worn because it is the color of happiness and worn at weddings. A candle is lit and placed near the casket, and family members ensure that the flame burns throughout the entire time of the wake, from three to seven days. Those who live past the age of ninety are honored with the longest wake of seven days.
Chinese funerals are sombre and serious events. One is expected to pay respects to the deceased so wearing neutral and subdued colours are recommended during the mourning period. Shades of blue, black, white or any other dull colours are acceptable.
Funeral guests are required to light incense for the deceased and bow as a sign of respect to the family. There will also be a donation box since money is always offered as a sign of respect to the family of the deceased. This money will also help the family defray the costs of the funeral.
Muted colours like white, black, dark green, dark blue, or grey are appropriate colours of clothing attire in a Chinese funeral. Do not wear bright coloured shirts or pants such as red, yellow, light green, orange, or shirts with ostentatious designs and colours.
Funerals are sombre affairs, so wearing neutral, monochrome colours are expected when attending a funeral. Some religions and traditions have set attire for the family members, but if you are just a visitor to the funeral, colours like black, white, or muted shades are acceptable.
Wearing bright colours, like yellow or red which signify happiness, is off-limits for mourning family members for up to three years. Such sartorial sacrifices reflect the typical Chinese value of reverence for their elders; they will put aside their appearance and personal comfort to show grief for the departed.
Typical condolences messages like 'I'm sorry for your loss', and 'My thoughts are with you during this time' are quite safe. In Chinese, you can say something like 'jie ai shun bian'.
Wearing dark grey or deep blue is just as appropriate as black, while brown and lighter greys are suitable for the vast majority of funeral services. However, unless specifically requested by the deceased or their family, you should avoid any bright colors such as yellows, oranges, pinks, and reds.
Chinese funerals tend to be carried out over seven days. During this period, people may dress in subdued colours, including white, which is associated with death (a white banner may be hung above the door of the bereaved family's house).
4. White is a symbol of the unknown and purity. The color white is used during the time of mourning, death, and during ghost festivals. Therefore Chinese people will wear white during a funeral or while summoning ghosts.
Because death is viewed as inauspicious, pregnant women or children are discouraged from attending wakes. Visitors, who are expected to dress in dark colours, light a single joss stick and pay their respects to the dead by bowing once while holding the joss stick with both hands.
Most guests of Chinese funerals will wear a black band around their arm. Chinese families will typically give guests a red envelope with either a coin or a dollar bill inside of it for good luck and a white envelope that has a piece of candy in it to take away the bitter taste of death.
Families typically wear white and opt not to wear jewelry. Red is not worn in clothing or accessories, as it is considered a color of happiness. Western influences have made black attire more acceptable at Chinese funerals, but in some instances, guests who wear black will add a white armband to their outfits.
Chinese funeral guests can be expected to give the grieving family money, 奠儀 (diàn yí), at the funeral or one day prior. The traditional gift is an odd dollar amount, starting at $101, in a white envelope. It may be handed to a family member or put into a donation box.
A general rule of thumb is that donations should be in line with the cost of a bouquet of funeral flowers. Even just a nominal donation for people on tight budgets is a welcome gesture. Funeral flowers tend to cost in the range of $50 to $80 for a moderate to well-sized bouquet, and $100 or more for a large wreath.
Monetary gift
These monetary gifts can be in the forms of cash, vouchers, or gift cards and there is no fixed minimum or maximum amount. It is a very common tradition to offer money, known as 'white gold', at a Chinese funeral.
For the most part in Western society, wearing conservative attire in black—or dark colors like navy blue, burgundy, or dark gray—is best for a funeral.
At a traditional Buddhist funeral, the family wears white or cover themselves using a white cloth. Mourners should wear simple, black or dark clothing. Wearing expensive or flashy clothing/jewellery is seen as a display of wealth and not in keeping with Buddhist funeral etiquette.
Dress Conservatively
Here are some other things both men and women need to avoid: Resist wearing bright colors or wild prints. Avoid dressing in casual clothing, such as athletic wear, tank tops, or shorts. Skip the flip-flops, tennis shoes, sneakers, or boat shoes.
In this Blog Post, the colors of navy, purple, green, burgundy, brown, gray and black are offered, as appropriate colors for funeral attendees to wear to Western funerals.
White is a color of mourning across the globe
Clean, white shirts are usually worn with suits, and funeral flowers are usually white too. In Medieval times, white was worn together with black when honoring lost lives. Buddhists wear white to funerals as a symbol of mourning, and respect to the deceased person.
After the funeral, you should send thank-you notes to anyone who sent a card, gift, or flowers. If you are making a donation to a house of worship, do so separately from your thank-you note to the clergy.