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Adeath anniversary (ordeathday) is theanniversary of thedeath of a person. It is the opposite ofbirthday. It is a custom in several Asian cultures, includingAzerbaijan,Armenia,Cambodia,China,Georgia,Hong Kong,Taiwan,India,Myanmar,Iran,Israel,Japan,Bangladesh,Korea,Nepal,Pakistan,the Philippines,Russia,Sri Lanka andVietnam, as well as in other places with significant overseasChinese,Japanese,Jewish,Korean, andVietnamese populations, to observe the anniversary on which a family member or other significant individual died. There are also similar memorial services that are held at different intervals, such as every week.
Although primarily a manifestation ofancestor worship, the tradition has also been associated withConfucianism andBuddhism (inEast Asian cultural civilizations) orHinduism and Buddhism (South Asia but mainly inIndia,Nepal andSri Lanka andSoutheast Asia). InJudaism (the majority religion of Israel), such a commemoration is called ayahrtzeit (among other terms). Celebration of mass in memory of a loved one on or near the anniversary of their death is also a part ofRoman Catholic Christian tradition.
In China, a death anniversary is called忌辰;jìchén or忌日;jìrì. This type of ceremony dates back thousands of years in China (at least to theShang dynasty) and historically involved making sacrifices to the spirits of one's ancestors.
In India (and Nepal), a death anniversary is known asshraadh (Shraaddha "श्राद्ध" in Nepali). The first death anniversary is called abarsy, from the wordbaras, meaning year inHindi.
Shraadh[1] 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 Saaश्रद्धया 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.
In Japan, a death anniversary is calledmeinichi (命日),kishin (忌辰), orkijitsu/kinichi (忌日). Monthly observances of a death are known astsuki meinichi (月命日), while annual anniversaries are known asshōtsuki meinichi (祥月命日).
In Korea, ancestor worship ceremonies are referred to by the generic termjerye (제례/祭禮). Notable examples ofjerye includeMunmyo jerye andJongmyo jerye, which are performed periodically each year for veneratedConfucian scholars and kings of ancient times, respectively.
The ceremony held on the anniversary of a family member's death is calledgije (기제/忌祭), and is celebrated by families as a private ceremony. For such occasions, the women of the family traditionally prepare an elaborate set of dishes, includingtteok,jeon,jeok, and so forth.
In the Philippines, the funeral is only one part of an elaborate mourning tradition. For nine days after the funeral has taken place,novena prayers are offered in a practice calledpasiyam (although some start the practice the night after the death).[2] It is also customary for another service to be given on the fortieth day after the death, as it is traditionally believed that the souls of the dead wander the Earth for forty days.[3]
One year after the death, the first year death anniversary (Tagalog:babang luksa, literally "lowering of mourning") is commemorated with the final service. After thebabang luksa, the spouse of the deceased can remarry, and the family can once again hold birthday celebrations and attend parties. The miscellaneous non-valuable belongings of the deceased will also be symbolically burned to represent the mourners being able to move on with their lives.[4]Babang luksa is normally commemorated with a meal and prayers ("padasal") for the deceased. For one year after a death, mourners dress all in black or wear a black pin as a remembrance during their daily lives.[5] Afterbabang luksa, the mourners may once again return to their normal dress, although depending on circumstances, some may opt to wear their mourning attire for longer periods.[6]
Although only the first anniversary of the death is specifically commemorated, Filipinos further commemorate the deaths of all of their ancestors at their grave sites onAll Saints' Day (November 1) andAll Souls' Day (November 2).[7]
In Vietnam, a death anniversary is calledgiỗ (𠰍),ngày giỗ (𣈗𠰍, literally "giỗ day"),đám giỗ (酖𠰍, literally "giỗ ceremony"), orbữa giỗ (把𠰍, literally "giỗ 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 ofincense are burned in honor and commemoration of the deceased person. It is not unusual for a family to celebrate severalgiỗ 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 seniorpatrilineal descendant.
Although agiỗ 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 theHùng Kings - who were instrumental in founding the first Vietnamese kingdom in Vietnam's remote past, and of theTrưng Sisters are widely participated. In March 2007Giỗ tổ Hùng Vương became apublic holiday in Vietnam.[8] As in all traditional commemorations, theVietnamese calendar is used, exceptVietnamese Catholics who commemorate the dead anniversary inGregorian 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.[9]Chicken, a particularly prized meat in Vietnam, is often cooked as well. In Central Vietnam, small stuffedglutinous riceflour balls wrapped in leaves calledbánh ít are such a dish.[9] Because the preparation of so many complex dishes is time-consuming, some families purchase or hire caterers to prepare certain dishes.[9] It is also common that a soft-boiled egg be prepared and then given to the oldest grandson.[9]
In Sri Lanka, people commonly commemorate death anniversaries after seven days, 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years, with alms given either to monks or to the needy.
InWestern Christianity, it became custom during theMiddle Ages to commemorate the deceased after 3, 7 and 30 days as well as 1 year after their death. In addition to this, pious donors madeendowments to religious institutions to commemorate them in an annualmass on anniversaries of their deaths. These services were referred to as anniversaries (Latinanniversarium),obiits orchantries. TheGerman term isJahrzeit,[10] from which theYiddish termYahrtzeit is derived inJudaism.
In order to provide this service,monasteries andcollegiate churches wrote the names of the donors down incalendrical registers calledanniversary books. There was no temporal limit to this spiritual service, obliging institutions to perpetualcommemoration untilJudgment Day.
Observant Jews commemorate theyahrtzeit (Yiddish:יאָרצײַט,romanized: yortsayt) of the death of parents, siblings, spouses, or children[11] according to theHebrew calendar.[12] The main observance involves recitation ofkaddish prayer, and a widely practicedcustom is to light a special candle that burns for 24 hours, called ayahrtzeit candle.
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