上班族必備軟實力

[Richard thinks he will die in Taiwan, but not any time soon.]

After a loved one passes away, there are many despondent relatives to comfort and console. They gather and comfort one another, mostly in private. Taiwan has some unique methods of its own.

In Taiwan there are temporary shrines constructed for the recently deceased. They look like little barns or garages lined with yellow flowers. A picture of the dearly departed is displayed. They are important to the friends and the family.
 

A funeral procession can have sexy dancers.

Some funerals in Taiwan feature sexy dancers on stages with long upright metal poles. Some funerals have scantily clad ladies singing. I have heard many different explanations as to why anyone would have pop singers and pole dancers at a funeral. Some say that attendance at funerals is important to some people, so they try to attract mourners by putting on sexy shows and playing music. Others say that the act is to appease wandering spirits. Still another is that temples just want to attract more people or that a noisy funeral will scare away unwanted spirits. But when you see it, you may or may not care about why this is happening.

Funerals, like marriages, are held on auspicious days. A necromancer is consulted and they will determine the best day to hold a funeral. On particularly auspicious days, a funeral home can become very busy, and on inauspicious days, they can become as quiet as a graveyard.

People don’t talk freely about funerals. It is a touchy subject that holds painful memories for some. Some people look away when they pass a funeral display. They think it is bad luck to look at it.

The best we can do is to show some respect. Thank you for reading.