China In China, a death anniversary is called or . This type of ceremony dates back thousands of years in China (at least to the
Shang dynasty) and historically involved making sacrifices to the spirits of one's ancestors.
Indian subcontinent In India (and Nepal), a death anniversary is known as
shraadh (Shraaddha "श्राद्ध" in Nepali). The first death anniversary is called a
barsy, from the word
baras, meaning year in
Hindi.
Shraadh means to give with devotion or to offer one's respect.
Shraadh is a ritual for expressing one's respectful feelings for the ancestors. According to Nepali and Indian texts, a soul has to wander about in the various worlds after death and has to suffer a lot due to past karmas.
Shraadh is a means of alleviating this suffering.
Shraddhyaa Kriyate Yaa Saa (श्रद्धया क्रियते या सा):
Shraadh is the ritual accomplished to satiate one's ancestors.
Shraadh is a private ceremony performed by the family members of the departed soul. Though not mandated spiritually, it is typically performed by the eldest son and other siblings join in offering prayers together.
Japan In Japan, a death anniversary is called , , or . Monthly observances of a death are known as , while annual anniversaries are known as .
Korea In Korea, ancestor worship ceremonies are referred to by the generic term
jerye (). Notable examples of
jerye include
Munmyo jerye and
Jongmyo jerye, which are performed periodically each year for venerated
Confucian scholars and kings of ancient times, respectively. The ceremony held on the anniversary of a family member's death is called
gije (), and is celebrated by families as a private ceremony. For such occasions, the women of the family traditionally prepare an elaborate set of dishes, including
tteok,
jeon,
jeok, and so forth.
Philippines In the Philippines, the funeral is only part of an elaborate mourning tradition. After the death or the funeral has taken place,
novena prayers are offered for nine days, called the
pasiyám. It is also customary for another service to be held on the fortieth day after the death, as a tradition arose the souls of the dead wander the Earth for forty days. For up to one year after a death, mourners often dress all in black or wear a black pin on normal clothing as a sign of their bereaved state. The first anniversary year of the death is called
Babáng Luksâ, (
Tagalog, "lowering of mourning") and commemorated with the final service. After the
Babáng Luksâ, mourners may once again return to their normal dress, although some may opt to wear mourning attire for longer periods. The spouse of the deceased may remarry, and the family can once again hold birthday celebrations and attend parties. Miscellaneous non-valuable belongings of the deceased can also be symbolically burnt to represent mourners moving on with their lives. The
Babáng Luksâ normally also has a meal and additional prayers (
padasál) for the deceased. Although only the first anniversary of the death is specifically commemorated, Filipinos further honour all of their ancestors at their graves on
All Saints' Day (November 1) and
All Souls' Day (November 2).
Vietnam In Vietnam, a death anniversary is called (𠰍), (𣈗𠰍, literally " day"), (酖𠰍, literally " ceremony"), or (把𠰍, literally " meal"). It is a festive occasion, at which members of an extended family gather together. Female family members traditionally spend the entire day cooking an elaborate banquet in honor of the deceased individual, which will then be enjoyed by all the family members. In addition, sticks of
incense are burned in honor and commemoration of the deceased person. It is not unusual for a family to celebrate several per year, so the ceremony serves as a time for families to reunite, much like the Vietnamese new year,
Tết. The rituals are the responsibility of whoever inherits the ancestral estates, typically the deceased's most senior
patrilineal descendant. Although a is usually a private ceremony attended only by family members (and occasionally also close friends), some are commemorated by large segments of the population. The commemoration of the
Hùng Kings - who were instrumental in founding the first Vietnamese kingdom in Vietnam's remote past, and of the
Trưng Sisters are widely participated. In March 2007
Giỗ tổ Hùng Vương became a
public holiday in Vietnam. As in all traditional commemorations, the
Vietnamese calendar is used, except
Vietnamese Catholics who commemorate the dead anniversary in
Gregorian calendar. In Vietnamese culture, certain special, traditional dishes (particularly desserts) are only prepared for death anniversary banquets. In addition, favorite foods of the deceased person being honored are also prepared.
Chicken, a particularly prized meat in Vietnam, is often cooked as well. In Central Vietnam, small stuffed
glutinous rice flour balls wrapped in leaves called are such a dish. from which the
Yiddish term
Yahrtzeit is derived in
Judaism. In order to provide this service,
monasteries and
collegiate churches wrote the names of the donors down in
calendrical registers called
anniversary books. There was no temporal limit to this spiritual service, obliging institutions to perpetual
commemoration until
Judgment Day.
Judaism Observant Jews commemorate the
yahrtzeit () of the death of parents, siblings, spouses, or children according to the
Hebrew calendar. The main observance involves recitation of
kaddish prayer, and a widely practiced
custom is to light a special candle that burns for 24 hours, called a
yahrtzeit candle. == See also ==