Why Pregnant Women Should Not Attend Funerals

When there is a pregnant woman in the family, the first thing the elders think of is that she must not attend funerals.

There are many sayings: funerals are "yin" affairs, while a pregnant woman carries "yang" new life in her belly; if the two collide, it is bad for the child. Some say that if a pregnant woman goes, the child in her belly will be targeted by unclean things. Others say that the child will be born prone to crying, easily frightened, or bearing birthmarks.

In addition, there are taboos such as "not watching the funeral procession," "not entering the graveyard," "not eating at the house of the deceased," and "not touching the deceased's belongings."

If it is truly unavoidable, such as when a relative has passed away and she must be present, the elders will have her carry a pair of scissors, or a piece of red cloth tied with red thread, worn on her person. In some places, she is made to step over a fire basin at the doorstep before leaving; upon returning home, she must also step over the fire basin, wash her hands and face before entering the house.

Some elders will also have the pregnant woman, when present, not approach the coffin, stand to one side, bow once, and then leave.

No one can say where these sayings come from.

Nowadays, some people look at it from another angle: funerals have many people, poor air circulation, and great emotional fluctuations, which can easily tire a pregnant woman or frighten her; in the past, funerals required inviting many relatives to gather, making it easy to spread diseases.

Some modern doctors also say that emotional fluctuations in pregnant women do indeed affect the fetus, so she should be spared excessive sadness as much as possible.

Regardless, if the elders at home say not to go, she does not go. Those who do not go will ask someone else to deliver a gift and bow on their behalf.

#Folklore #网络转载