Funerals...

It's Judy... Can you believe I even talk about this stuff? Well, funerals are a big deal in Kdramas and perhaps you want to learn more about them. If you find this topic inappropriate just skip this post!

The first thing about Korean funerals I notice is how fast they take place. Koreans use hospitals a lot more than Americans do and most hospitals seem to have a 'funeral home' attached to them. When a patient dies they are simply moved to the funeral home section. There seems to be several 'rooms' available so there might be 3-4 funerals happening at the same time. Each family is provided a special room that features an altar-type thing with the deceased's photo and flowers. The bereaved family can rent mourning clothes and they remain in this room while visitors stream in and out. The visitors enter the room, place a white flower at the 'altar,' bow two times (?) to the photo, and then turn to bow to the bereaved family. The visitors then leave the room and go to a communal area for a meal. This 'visitation' can take place over several days and visitors will come and go according to their schedules.

In most Kdramas I see, the bereaved family have black and white cuffs on their upper sleeves signifying they are the survivors. This photo does not show that. Note the funeral 'wreaths' to left and right of altar and the photo at center.

I like this set up. There's not a lot of conversation or awkward small-talk between the visitors and family. It's a ritualized system whereby the visitors pay their respects and then leave the family alone.

Speaking from the POV of a Kdrama Gmama, this way of paying respects would be difficult for me. I don’t think I could actually get down on the floor and bow. Well, maybe I could get down, but I certainly couldn’t get up without some help. I don’t mean to be crass. I’m just thinking of the logistics of trying to do this. Actually, when I think about it, I can’t remember seeing someone my age bowing at a funeral in a Kdrama. ~ Pat