"Although the soul is gone, the voice is still there" This is the reason for the existence of the posthumous photo.
The mainland advocates etiquette and has a series of cumbersome funeral ceremonies, so what should be done with the posthumous photos after the etiquette is over?
Each household uses a different treatment method, so let's take a look at how it works.
1. The origin of the posthumous photo
Now that cameras are popular, many elderly people will go to the photo studio to take a posthumous photo, and there is a woman in Shangluo, Shaanxi Province who took posthumous photos for 2,000 elderly people in the mountains for four years.
In fact, as early as the Eastern Jin Dynasty, there were records that the ancients would carve the remains on the wood and stone.
After the 19th century, the advent of the camera spread to China.
However, Chinese people think that taking pictures will suck people's spirit and make them unlucky, so they are reluctant to take pictures. What's more, the potion of the photo is made with the eyes of Chinese.
Therefore, the photograph represents death from the beginning, and it is inextricably linked to the traditional portrait painting used for memorial services.
Later, a photo studio in Shanghai advertised that men, women and children should go to take pictures, leave photos for their families to miss when they leave home, and pass them on to future generations after they die, with low cost and high value.
Legend has it that Hades can only distinguish black and white, and the imp who took away the soul of the deceased is also called black and white impermanence.
Black and white also makes people's hearts full of respect, and the main color of the funeral is also black and white, which is part of traditional Chinese funeral culture.
The people have a great deal of attention to the way of discharging and processing the photos, which is a way to respect the predecessors and express the respect of the future.
Some old people said that if they were placed at will, the deceased would not be able to find their way home and would become a lonely ghost.
2. How to deal with posthumous photos
The first is to be buried with the deceased. After the memorial ceremony, some family members will choose to put the posthumous photos in the cemetery and pay their respects in front of the tombstone for future generations to come to mourn, and there are staff in the cemetery who will carry out daily maintenance and cleaning.
Most families will follow the coffin of the deceased into the burial, because the most important thing for the Chinese is to enter the soil for peace, and the posthumous photos are also sad for the living to see.
The second is to place it in the position due north of the home, and the northern family will generally place it in the position directly north of the house, which means that the deceased has an important family status.
Seeing photos of deceased family members in daily life, it seems that he still exists in this family, so that the deceased will always be remembered by his family.
The third type is placed in the side house, which is different from putting it in the north, and it is another folk custom.
The yang energy in the partial room is not heavy, which is conducive to the deceased's resting and living, and will not destroy the feng shui in the house, which is convenient for family members to worship and miss daily.
The fourth is to put it in the ancestral hall for future generations to pay tribute on important holidays.
There are many large families with large populations, and there are ancestral halls built. The Chinese pay attention to the fact that the leaves fall back to their roots and recognize their ancestors and return to their ancestors.
Placing the posthumous photos in the ancestral hall and being with the ancestors for generations is also the best place for a person to be. It allows future generations to worship collectively, which enhances the family's sense of identity and collectivity.
The fifth is to keep the posthumous photos carefully.
The deceased had passed away, and the family grieved by placing photos in their homes, so they wrapped the photos in red cloth and placed them in a cabinet for careful preservation.
When you want to see it, you can take it out at any time to miss your loved ones, and it will not add to the sadness. However, it should be stored in a shaded, ventilated place to avoid the loss of photo images.
Now, there is a new way to preserve the posthumous photos.
It is to digitize the posthumous photo and save it on a mobile phone or computer, which is the safest and most convenient way to save it, one is to pass it on forever, the other is to take it out at any time during the memorial, and the third is to view it at any time to comfort the lovesickness.
3. Respect the deceased and reasonably dispose of the posthumous photos
Regardless of the custom or habit, the deceased's wishes should be respected.
If you want to keep your photos indoors, there are also a lot of interesting feng shui tips.
This is also an important reference basis for the public to place posthumous photos, and if they are placed well, they will be prosperous.
Do not put it behind the door, because the door is the entrance to absorb all things, attracting the wealth and blessings of a family, and the posthumous photo is yin, and it is placed at the door to block the accumulation of wealth and good luck.
It should not be placed in the bedroom, people fall asleep at night in the bedroom, and the yin qi takes advantage of the weakness to bring nightmares, which will seriously affect sleep and lack of energy during the day.
Where should I put my posthumous photos?
It is best placed on top of cabinets and bookshelves without affecting the home in any way. If it is placed in the room where the elderly lived before their death, it will not be affected by the negative magnetic field.
If possible, it can be placed in a Buddhist shrine for special days to be taken out for memorialization. No matter where it is placed, the most important point is to avoid the feng shui level, and future generations should also have a correct attitude to pay respects, respect the deceased, and respect traditions.
Summary:
Just like in "Dream Travel", the role of the posthumous photo is a carrier used by the living to remember and pay tribute to the deceased, so it is necessary to properly place the posthumous photo. The deceased is great, and the ancestors must be respected. No matter how you deal with the posthumous photos, it is not difficult to see that it has a lot to do with local customs, and on the basis of respect, do not be overly superstitious.