Customs Guide
After the funeral: 做七, the hundredth day, and Qingming
In Chinese tradition, care for the deceased does not end at the graveside. A series of observances over the following weeks and years — some religious, some family custom — mark the passage of the loved one and keep them present in the family.
The seventh-day rites (做七)
Every seventh day after the death, for seven weeks, many families hold a rite of remembrance — chanting, offerings, and burning incense before the memorial tablet or portrait, at home or at the temple. The first seventh day (頭七) is the most widely kept: the soul is believed to return home that night to see the family one last time, so a meal with the deceased's favorite dishes is set out, and the family retires early to let the visit happen undisturbed. The final seventh day (滿七 or 尾七), the forty-ninth day, closes the period; in Buddhist teaching this is when rebirth takes place.
The hundredth day and the first anniversary
The hundredth day (百日) is a further occasion for offerings and, for many families, the end of the strictest period of mourning; celebrations such as weddings and birthday banquets are traditionally avoided until it has passed, and some families extend this to a full year. The first anniversary (對年 or 周年) is marked with a memorial at the grave or before the tablet, and in some traditions a rite three years after the death (三年) marks the formal end of mourning.
The ancestral tablet
A memorial tablet (靈位 or 神主牌) bearing the name of the deceased is kept in the home or at the temple. Incense is offered before it on the seventh days, on anniversaries, and at festivals. Families who are Christian may instead keep a portrait, and Buddhist families may place the tablet at their temple, where it is included in the temple's chanting.
Qingming, Chung Yeung, and the Hungry Ghost Festival
Each spring at Qingming Festival (清明節, in early April), families visit the grave to sweep the tomb, tidy the site, and make offerings of food, tea, flowers, and paper money — the tradition of 掃墓. In Hong Kong and Guangdong families also visit at Chung Yeung (重陽節, the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, in autumn). During the Hungry Ghost Festival (中元節 or 盂蘭節, the seventh lunar month) offerings are made for the deceased and for wandering spirits. These visits often bring the whole family together and are among the most enduring of Chinese customs abroad.
Mourning in daily life
Traditions about mourning in daily life vary widely. Some families wear a small black or white cloth for forty-nine or one hundred days; avoid visiting friends' homes during the first weeks; refrain from cutting hair for a period; or avoid red clothing and celebrations for a year. None of these are rules a guest need worry about, but if you are close to a family in mourning, be understanding if they decline an invitation.
How we help
We can advise on the dates of each observance from the day of death, prepare offerings and paper goods for the seventh-day rites, and help families who wish to arrange a memorial at the temple, church, or cemetery. If your loved one rests abroad, we can help you keep these observances here.
Last reviewed October 2026 by Wah On Funeral Home.
Frequently asked questions
What is 頭七 (the first seventh day)?
The seventh day after a death, when the soul is believed to return home to see the family one last time. The family sets out a meal, burns incense, and retires early that night.
How long is the mourning period after a Chinese funeral?
It varies by family. The forty-nine days and the hundredth day are the most common milestones, and many families avoid celebrations until the hundredth day or the first anniversary has passed.
When do Chinese families visit the grave?
Chiefly at Qingming Festival in early April (tomb sweeping), and in Cantonese tradition also at Chung Yeung in autumn, as well as on the anniversary of the death.
Whatever your family’s traditions, we will help you honor them
And we will help your guests understand them. If you have a question about any custom, or about how to blend traditions across generations and faiths, call us. We are glad to explain.