Funeral Rites

Celebration of Birth and Funeral Rites

The three most important events in one’s life is thought to be Birth, Marriage and Death. They are seminal. Therefore, the Chinese conceived special rites and rituals associated with each of these occasions.

Mua Guek (Full Moon)
When the baby was born for one full month, also called full lunar, the family will celebrate this day, therefore called the celebration of birth (mua guek, full moon). On this day, family members will prepare nasi kunyit (steamed glutinous turmeric rice), chicken curry, ang ku kweh (red bean cake in the shape of tortoises) and red eggs. Note that, ang ku kweh must be in the shape of a tortoise’s shell as tortoise represents longevity. These food are offered to their ancestors

The mua guek ceremony also marks the end of the pantang (confinement period) as was also practised by the Malay women after child delivery.

Funeral and tua ha (Mourning)
Traditionally, when death occurred in a Peranakan home, white masking tapes would mark an “X” over the jee-hoe (family plaque) that was hung above the main door as a sign that the residence was in mourning. The main door and the front windows were similarly demarcated. All mirrors in the house were either covered with white cloths or be “X” over with white masking tapes. This was done to prevent deflecting the soul of the recently deceased. If two deaths occurred in a family consecutively, the mourning favoured the latest death.
If the deceased had his funeral done away from his own home then a chye kee (red banner/bunting) must be hung at the main door of the residence that hosted the wake. This was to show that nobody from that house had died. During the mourning period, white lanterns would be hung; if one spouse was still alive, only one white lantern was hung up. By its position, passers-by would know whether the deceased was the husband or