Hmong people see the death of a loved one as an important part of life. A funeral of this length means that the deceased is a well-respected person and has lived a wonderful life. The family members of the deceased will stay at the funeral for the entirety of the three days and nights and comfort each other. When entering into a funeral home, you may see lots of heart-shaped and circular-shaped memorials made from the paper money, money that is of no use to humans but is valuable in the afterlife. A number of roles are important to the funeral process. There are the niam ua mo v, literally "women who cook. There is also a tus ntaub nruab , a man who plays the large drum called the the nruab. Finally, there is the txiv xaiv , a man who chants in order to lead the deceased back home on the correct path. All together, the three male roles will lead the deceased back to his or her home. Hmong tradition teaches that when persons pass away, they will go back and visit each place that they have been to, with the last destination being their birthplace.
How Much Will Your Funeral Cost? Try Our QuickPlan to Find Out.
You may also like
Try out PMC Labs and tell us what you think. Learn More. For over forty years, the Hmong have sought refuge in the United States; however, many Hmong elders continue to honor healthcare and end-of-life beliefs and rituals that they practiced in their home country. With little known by the general public and healthcare systems about these beliefs and rituals, healthcare professionals may struggle to provide the Hmong community with culturally-sensitive care. This study sought to address this gap by conducting in-depth face-to-face interviews with 20 Animist and Christian Hmong elders born in Southeast Asia, who now reside in the United States. Results provided insights regarding the heterogeneity among these Hmong elders concerning their end-of-life beliefs and rituals. Both Animist and Christian respondents believed family should provide care at end of life. Animist Hmong elders reported the importance of Shamanistic rituals such as soul calling or spiritual offering while Christian Hmong elders believed in the power of prayers.
Navigation menu
Cake values integrity and transparency. We follow a strict editorial process to provide you with the best content possible. We also may earn commission from purchases made through affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Learn more in our affiliate disclosure. Funeral rites are a cornerstone of the Hmong faith and culture. The Hmong religion is traditionally animist , which means the Hmong people believe all living things are interconnected. Observers of the Hmong faith believe in reincarnation, making funeral ceremonies that much more impactful. Hmong funeral rites are elaborate and meaningful, and they must be performed correctly.
Here in America and in most of Canada, we have funeral traditions that have stood the test of time for decades, even centuries. This article looks at Hmong funeral traditions and is part of a series that highlights how different cultures care for their dead. Other parts of the series are about Ukrainian funeral traditions and Belgian funeral traditions , among others. The body also is usually embalmed for the viewing and burial. The immediate family members contact their relatives about the death so they can come home for the funeral.