Tuesday, July 26, 2005

Envelopes for the dead

On Friday Li came home and asked me to buy a dead peoples envelope.
Sad, but I knew what he was talking about.
In Japan gifts are usually given in the form of money. Weddings, new babies, and even birthdays. The money is put into a special envelope. The happy occasion envelopes range between blaaaa to very fancy. They have kanji written in gold on the font and these elaborate ties holding them together.
Well when someone dies in Japan it is traditional to give money. If you are actually going to the funeral that amount can range between one hundred to three hundred dollars. Even more if it was a friend. In exchange you get a gift back. I am not sure about the type of gift. I know at weddings the gifts tend to be dish sets and tea sets.
If one of your coworkers had a member of their family who died it is considered polite to present the person an envelope with ten dollars in it.
This envelope is plain white with a black and red band around it.
Well one of Li's coworkers mother died.
He had given us 50 bucks when JiXiang was born so Li wanted to make sure he gave him the same back.
Li came home last night with a box and a tiny packet of salt. The box was green tea but the salt.....
Huh????
WELLLLLLL....
In Japan after a funeral you are given a tiny packet of salt. Before you enter your house you are supposed to sprinkle the salt over your head, then go inside. Salt is a purifier. The salt rids your body of the ghosts that might have lingered from the funeral.
In China they have the same custom except they use fire. After a funeral in China you light a tiny fire inside a tin can sort of thingy and you jump over the fire before entering your house. Fire is also a purifier and rids your body of lingering ghosts.
I am assuming that the Christian cross works in pretty much the same way.

So Li came home with a box of tea and a small packet of salt.
He brought the salt in the house.
- You didnt sprinkle yourself. We have ghosts now.
- I DIDNT go to the funeral!!
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Posted by (Top)Andrea::7/26/2005 :: 0 Comments:

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