Chinese Funeral Services Singapore

Being a majority Chinese nation, Chinese Funerals are very commonplace in Singapore. Chinese Funerals can take religious forms such as Buddhist and Taoist Funerals or be non religious. Regardless of religious belief, most Chinese Funerals follow strict traditions as many Chinese in Singapore believe that improper funeral arrangements can cause a misfortune to befall the family of the deceased. The performance of proper funeral rites for the deceased is also considered the duty of the children and hence, a form of showing filial piety.

Some Common Chinese Funeral Traditions

Chinese place a lot of emphasis on rank (within the family) and age. For example, many Chinese families believe that the older generation should not offer respect for the younger generation. Thus if a son dies, his parents are not to offer prayers or funeral rites for him. On this same token, children who die are sometimes buried without funeral rites.

Chinese also believe that an unclean body will be punished in the netherworld. As such, it is the duty of the sons to symbolically wipe the body of the deceased 3 times to ritually clean him.

During the performance of funeral rituals at the wake, family members will gather around the casket, ordered according to their rank within the family. The eldest grandson is traditionally considered the youngest son and will be garbed accordingly. The length of the wake is decided by the family; it is usually either 3, 5 or 7 days.

Gambling at wake is also common as Chinese believe the body must be guarded at all times. Gambling help those keeping night long vigils awake and to a certain extend, can help lessen the grief.

During the nailing (or sealing) of the coffin, it is customary for all in attendance to face away. The sealing represents the separation of the living from the dead and Chinese believe that those facing the coffin at this stage may attract misfortune.

Chinese Funeral ceremonies are usually followed by a procession where family and friends will follow the hearse for some distance. The way the family lines up during the procession will once again be determined by their rank within the family, with the eldest son always in front.

Role of a Funeral Director in Chinese Funerals

Over the years, Chinese Funerals in Singapore have become increasing simplified with the traditions of old lost among the current generation. This is partly due to the fact that many Chinese consider talking about death taboo and as such avoid talking about it.

Given that many Singaporean Chinese families are now unfamiliar with Chinese Funeral traditions, customs and rites, having an experienced and trusted funeral director, with good knowledge of Chinese Funeral traditions, is very important.

Why Engage Us?

With two decades of experience handling funeral arrangements in Singapore, we are in a very good position to guide and offer advise, when needed. At Singapore Funeral Group Pte. Ltd., we take our duties very earnestly because we understand the serious nature of our job. A small mistake on our part can easily add to the emotional stress and grief of the family. Our staff are thus very well trained in the area of patience and compassion. You will therefore find that we are at all times very attentive and sensitive to our clients needs. With us as your funeral director, you can have the peace of mind knowing that the funeral will run well.

How to Contact Us?

To ask us questions on our Chinese Funeral services and packages, simple call us at +65 6817 4288. Our well trained Funeral Consultants will be on hand to answer all queries, understand your requirements and help provide funeral solutions suitable for your needs and budget. And if you prefer, you can choose to use the contact form on this page to get in touch with us instead.