We buried my grandmother on Tuesday, at dawn, the second day of the lunar month. She passed away on Friday and the wake lasted five days. It was important to wait for an auspicious, even-numbered day, and to give everyone enough time to pay their last respects. Starting at 6 a.m., the funeral procession — her sons and daughters, followed by other family members, then the eight pallbearers — wound its way up the wooded hillside, bending branches from our path and setting off fireworks that lit up the morning sky. The procession was followed by musicians, as it is believed that evil spirits can be frightened away by loud music. We tossed coins and burned joss paper, or spirit money, on the ground before we laid her down. …
