The Chinese believe that the soul of the departed will return to his/her home usually on the seventh day after death. In Cantonese this is called Wooi Wan 回魂 or Return of the Soul.
A lit red candle and joss-stick are placed outside the house at this time to ensure that the soul does not get lost. A feast will be prepared by the family members for the returning soul. On the day of the return of the soul, family members are expected to remain in their rooms.
According to a list given by the undertakers, my mum's soul was scheduled to return on the fourteenth day or the second week of her demise. The time of her arrival at home was given as 8.00 p.m. and the time she would leave would be 2.00 p.m. Now this would mean that she returned on Thursday night (28th June) and would leave at 2.00 a.m. on Friday morning. So it is not always that the soul returns on the first seven days.
Since it is 12.56 a.m. now, that means my mum's soul would leave in an hour's time.
Yesterday afternoon, I asked permission from the college director to leave early so that I could drive back to Ipoh to prepare for the Return of the Soul Ceremony. Lai Yoong was nice enough to accompany me back to Ipoh to keep me company. I left her at Rose's place in Ipoh Garden before I went home to do the preparations and prepared the prayer things.
You can see the meal that I have laid out for my mum's soul in the second and third pictures. Before I left the house at 6.50 p.m., I lit the candle and joss-stick to welcome back mummy's soul. I couldn't stay the night as I have to be on duty at the stadium early tomorrow morning as it is Sports Day for the college.
2 comments:
Long time reader first time commenting. I just want to express my condolences to you and your family on the passing of your mother.
Thanks. I really appreciate that. Do keep coming to visit my blog. Thanks for your support.
Post a Comment