Ancient Funeral Culture (3) (Main Core Aspects, with slight differences in each dynasty)

🗂️ The Strict Five-Service System (Mourning Attire) In ancient times, five different grades of mourning attire were established based on the degree of kinship between the living and the deceased, and their status within the patriarchal system, collectively known as the 'Five Services'. • Zhan Cui (斬衰): The heaviest mourning attire, made of extremely coarse raw hemp cloth, with unhemmed edges. Primarily worn by a son for his parents or a wife for her husband, typically for a period of three years (actually 27 months). • Qi Cui (齊衰): Made of the next coarsest hemp cloth, with hemmed edges. Used for a husband mourning his wife, a grandchild mourning their grandparents, etc. • Da Gong (大功): Made of processed hemp cloth, of finer quality. Used for cousins, unmarried female cousins, etc. • Xiao Gong (小功): Made of finer processed hemp cloth. Used for maternal grandparents, maternal uncles, etc. • Si Ma (緦麻): The lightest mourning attire, made of fine hemp cloth. Used for clan members or more distant relatives, for a period of three months.