The article is only to explain one of the funeral cultures in our country, and does not promote the idea of feudal superstition, I hope that everyone will not be superstitious, understand and understand!
"Seven Seven Forty-Nine Days" is also known as "Seven Seven Funeral Customs". In many rural areas, the tradition of "seven seven funeral customs" is still preserved. The so-called "seven seven forty-nine days" is actually the seven seven days of the dead, which adds up to forty-nine days. So why divide into seven seven days? What will happen to the deceased in each of the seven days? Let's explain them one by one.
Why are they divided into seven seven days? After death, a person must pass through seven levels before he can be reincarnated, and each level takes seven days, which is the origin of seven days and forty-nine days!
So what would happen to the deceased over the course of seven days?
1. The first seven days were called "parting off" by the ancients, which is actually the "first seven" that everyone often discusses! Ancient folk believe that during this time of the "first seven", the souls of the deceased will not completely dissipate, and they can also hear the voices of their loved ones. Personally, I think this tradition of "shouting spirits" is somewhat related. Simply put, to cry out is to cry out to the soul of the dead. Because people can still hear the voices of their loved ones after death, the deceased can hear them when they shout spirits. This can also express the reluctance of relatives to the deceased. Back to the topic, for the first seven days, relatives prepare funeral supplies for the deceased.
2. The second seven days were called "Evil Ghost Pass" by the ancients, that is, "Two Seven". Legend has it that the ghost messenger will leave the Yang Realm with the soul of the deceased within these seven days. During this time, relatives will burn paper money for them so that the souls of the deceased can use them on the road.
3. The third seven days were called "Chicken Singing Pass" by the ancients, that is, "Three Seven", also known as "Night of returning to the soul". In this level, the soul of the deceased can return to the Yang Realm to see his relatives again, and must return to the ghost before the chicken crows, that is, before dawn, otherwise he will become a lone ghost and will never be able to live again.
4. The fourth seven days were called "Hungry Dog Pass" by the ancients, that is, "Four Seven". In this level, there will be a lot of hungry dogs in the way, if you can't drive these hungry dogs in time, the journey of the deceased will be affected, once the time exceeds seven days, the deceased will not be reincarnated! During this period, relatives should prepare meals and lure hungry dogs off the road so that the deceased can pass the customs normally.
5. The fifth seven days were called "ghost gates" by the ancients, that is, "five seven". After this pass, the soul of the deceased truly enters the underworld, and is separated from the yin and yang of the living relatives.
6. The sixth seven days were called "Wangxiangguan" by the ancients, that is, "Six Seven". After passing through the ghost gate, the ghost messenger will take the soul of the deceased and let them now look at the living relatives on the platform. But the living relatives must burn paper money or the dead will not be able to see them. Therefore, during the seven days that this ghost door is closed, it is necessary to burn paper.
7. The last seven days were called "reincarnation passes" by the ancients. Before entering the reincarnation pass, the deceased must cross the Nai Ho Bridge and drink Meng Po soup to completely erase the memories of past lives. Only after passing this seventh level can you successfully reincarnate!
The "Seven Seven Funeral Customs" is only a traditional culture of our country, which carries the ancient people's thoughts and reluctance for their loved ones, and we still treat it with the right vision. In modern society, we should stand on the side of science, reject superstition, and look at this kind of culture rationally, just as a kind of sustenance of the people's wishes!