GetndCarVC

People from different background have different takes on funerals. Being a Chinese family with family from Taiwan, I assume the funeral was based around Buddhism. The night before the funeral, the immediate family could only eat vegetarian for dinner. Every light at the deceased home must remain on starting at the strike of midnight till the end of the funeral the next day (this means sleeping in bring lights). Leaving the lights on is an invitation for the spirit of the deceased. Additionally, the mirrors at the deceased home must remain covered until the body is buried. With mirrors covered, returning spirit won’t be scared away from the house.

The morning of the funeral, the immediate family dresses predominately in black, and nobody is allowed to "get ready". This means no brushing your teeth, no fixing your hair, no shaving, etc. This is an indication of mourning for the dead.

Later, there is a program at the funeral home where first the immediate family pays their final respects to the deceased before friends are given a chance for their last farewells. The immediate family also pays respect to visiting friends by bowing. There are monks at both the funeral home and the cemetery. Much of the program at the funeral home and cemetery may vary from funeral home to funeral home.