Explanations and favor

This is the first time I have experienced the formalities of a Korean funeral.  I don't think I was expecting to be this taken by it in this way. 



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In my last post I uploaded a picture with captions saying I would be in a suit for 3 days.  Korean customs are very different than in America or the west.  Firstly, instead of having an open casket viewing for one day, we have two days from early morning to late night of people coming to pay their respects in a room with a memorial for the deceased.  A portrait is set in the middle with floral arrangements made around it.  The larger arrangements set around the room are from different churches and people.  People come into this room to pay their last respects to the deceased and the family.

The family of the deceased will dress in black.  The sons of the deceased wear a black and white ribbon on the left side signifying their sonship and later will add a white sleeve to the left arm with two black bands in the middle.  The grandsons wear a white sleeve on the left arm with a single black band in the middle.  The women wear a black hanbok (traditional clothing) with a small white ribbon in their hair on the left side.  Each symbolizing that they have lost a loved one and which gender and generation they belong to. 

The procession begins with honoring the dead and then being greeted by the family.  The family is then responsible to feed the guests.  Instead of people bringing food, the family caters to the people coming.  Usually the family would have to prepare all the food but thanks to the times we hired people for the catering.  The guests can stay as long as they like and they will sit, eat and talk for hours.  The family also stays fairly close to the body.  All of the things are happening in the lower level of a hospital.  We are also staying in the hospital in a seperate room.

The atmosphere during this time is actually very light.  For this viewing, it didn't feel like a death but more of a congratulations; a celebration that he made it into heaven.  Many people came and visited from church, distant relatives and friends of different members of the family.  As they visit, they sign in a guestbook and bring an envelope with money for the family that remains on earth.  In the sitting area, people catch up with one another, you can hear laughter and chatter as they reminicse about times in the past and new developments in life.

On the third day, we had a funeral service at church.  Anytime they moved the body, the first grandson, me, would carry the portrait in the arrangement leading the procession of people.  The picture, followed by the casket, and the rest of the people.  Traditionally and historically, they would bury the body near the house and the oldest son would build a tent around the grave and live their for three years.  But, we don't do that anymore.  We will be cremating the body, and since my grandfather was a Korean war veteran, his ashes will be stored at a memorial.

In all of this, one of the craziest parts was watching the hospital attendants dress the body.  It was a very solemn thing to watch but also very amazing.  The Lord's hand was really on it, giving us favor.  The head-dresser was an expert in his field.  He had dressed the body of two of the presidents of Korea who had passed away in recent years.  We didn't ask for a special dressing but they gave us special treatment.  I wish I could post the picture, but because of the family's request I will not upload it. 

As best as I can describe: The first layer of clothing was traditional clothing and then they would wrap the body tight in a layer.  The last layer was of royalty.  By the end he was mummified with a blue color with 12 crosses from the head to the middle signifying the 12 tribes of Israel.  There was a blue cloth folded over in ripples following the crosses down signifying crossing over the Jordan river into the promised land.  There is a crown at the head and feet woven into the cloth symbolizing the crown of life and three sets of cloth of 3 different colors under the crosses.  These 3 sets symbolize Father, Son and Spirit, and the colors represent faith, hope and love.  As they finished wrapping the body, the final knot was in the shape of a flower under the feet.  This symbolized the rose of sharon for the walking in eternity is better than what we have in this life.

And that about covers it for the funeral.  Its not the full explanation and there are some variations.  I'll post more pictures later.