The funeral procession follows, carrying a casket or open stretcher containing the body. After the funeral and burial, the Hmong people believe that the soul remains at its gravesite for 13 days. Ceremonial rites, including songs and prayers, take place during these 13 days. On the final day, the family performs a xi.The funeral procession follows, carrying a casket or open stretcher containing the body. After the funeral and burial, the Hmong people believe that the soul remains at its gravesite for 13 days. Ceremonial rites, including songs and prayers, take place during these 13 days. On the final day, the family performs a xi.
How do Hmong bury their dead?
Burial. Traditionally, Hmong burials were on the side of a mountain facing west. They believed the west is the direction of death and if they faced the east, the sun would blind them. Next, family members place the deceased at the table with items they may need for their journey to the afterlife.
What usually happens at a funeral?
Attendees gather to hear funeral music, listen to readings from religious or literary works, give eulogies about the departed, and sometimes participate in prayer. Committal. Most traditional funerals also include a committal service, which is when the body is buried.
How much are Hmong funerals?
Traditional Hmong funerals can cost as much as $15,000 or $20,000—and even tens of thousands more, depending on how lavish a ceremony the family wants.
What should you not do at a Hmong funeral?
Traditionally, cows and chickens were sacrificed as part of the funeral ritual and served to the guests of the funeral. In Western funeral practices, ritual sacrifices do not take place at the site of the funeral services. It is appreciated and appropriate to prepare food for the family.
Why do Hmong sacrifice animals?
Animal Sacrifice Shaman attempt to heal illnesses through offerings to the spirits, such as with meals or with a sacrifice of a chicken, pig, cow or other animal. In Hmong culture, the souls of sacrificial animals are connected to human souls.
What are Hmong beliefs?
The Hmong are animist, people who believe in souls or spirits, in their practice of religion. The Hmong believe that the spiritual world coexist with the physical world. Spirits of nature are believed to possibly cause physical and mental harm to Hmong in the disguise of illness, nightmares, and even death.
Do you cry at funerals?
Crying at a funeral is a normal part of the process, especially if you were close to the deceased. However, there are a lot of times when it might not feel right to cry at a funeral. Perhaps you need to stay strong to support a family member, or you might be speaking at a funeral and need to keep your cool.