What is the coffin-raising ceremony?
When the Chinese hold funeral wake, the wake usually last for a few days on odd number like one, three or seven days before the burial. (Day 1 starts from the day the deceased died). Similarly, this also apply to Cantonese wake. However, why only odd (singular) number and not even? According to Chinese customs, it is unfortunate to hold a funeral, so it is often hoped that it will only happen once.
However, in the modern times, the cremation day is determined by the government system and cannot be changed. If the day falls on an even number (such as the fourth or sixth day from the day of the deceased’s death), a coffin-raising ceremony is needed to be held. Or when the day of funeral happens to be an inauspicious day, it is also necessary to hold a coffin-raising ceremony to skip the inauspicious day.
The coffin-raising ceremony in Cantonese funeral is usually held on the night before the funeral. The four Taoist priests stood at the four corners of the coffin individually, holding joss paper under the coffin, waiting for the order of the leading Taoist priest to raise the coffin together ‘symbolically’ and the ceremony is completed.
什么是昇棺仪式?
华人办丧事，停丧到出殡火化的日子，通常是取单位数。如，一天，三天，五天 和 七天。（从亡者去世那天算起）。广东人也不例外。为何单数而不用双数呢？华人的风俗，办丧事是属于不吉利的事，所以往往希望就此一次，别再有不吉利的事发生。
然而现代的出殡火化的日子通常是由殡葬业者向火化场管理人预定而不能更改。如果定下的日子，刚好是双数（如从亡者去世那天算起第四或六天），那就需要举行昇棺仪式。或者当出殡火化的日子刚好是不吉利的日子，也有必要举行昇棺仪式来跳过不吉利的日子。
广东丧事的昇棺仪式通常是在出殡前一晚，道长诵经完毕，由道长们来举行。四位道长，个别站在棺木的四个角落，手持金银纸托在棺木下方，等待领导的道长喝令，一同‘象征式’托一下棺木，仪式就算完成了。
