Prayers are often part and parcel of every funeral, and when it comes to funeral services in Singapore, prayer services are usually included in most funeral packages. Indeed, they are an essential part of the ceremony, as ancestral worship ceremonies serve as a reminder to the next generation of believers, the importance of filial piety and the debt of gratitude owed to their ancestors. In this article, we will explore the prayer ceremonies for different occasions and their significance.
7th Month
Also known as Hungry Ghost Festival, 7th Month is a significant event for many Buddhist households in Singapore as it marks the opening of the gates of hell, through which spirits of ancestors will roam the earth once more to visit their loved ones. During this period, Nirvana Singapore will conduct prayer ceremonies and follow-up worship for your departed ancestors and offer them food, as is customary for most households commemorating 7th Month in the hopes of guiding the spirits of their ancestors home.
Qing Ming Festival
Known in English as Tomb Sweeping Day, Qing Ming Festival calls for another period of ancestral worship, this time at their grave sites. Families would do so by burning incense and paper money there, as well as tidy and clean up the area. Then, prayers are offered to the ancestors, beseeching them to bless their families. This festival stretches all the way back to the Zhou Dynasty, when emperors and wealthy officials would honour and pray to their ancestors so the country would be blessed with prosperity, peace, and good harvests. Nirvana Singapore also offers Qing Ming prayer and worship services as part of our funeral package, offering incense and prayers to your ancestors for blessings upon your family.
Death Anniversary/An Ling
An Ling is commemorated by many Buddhist and Taoist households, as they believe that the spirits of the departed will be reincarnated on the 49th day. This is why we offer a 49-day An Ling prayer service as part of our funeral services in Singapore — every day, for 49 days, our staff will provide the deceased with two vegetarian meals and tea, as well as offer regular prayers. This is said to ease the spirit’s journey into reincarnation. Besides An Ling, Nirvana Singapore also offers prayer services for death anniversaries, like the 100-day milestone, or even 1- and 3-year anniversaries.
Mid Autumn Festival & Dong Zhi
Follow-up prayers are also offered here at Nirvana Singapore during the Mid Autumn Festival and Dong Zhi. Mid Autumn Festival, like many other significant Chinese festivals, originated from ancient China. This particular event has roots in the Tang Dynasty, when ladies during that time would pray to the Moon goddess in hopes of getting their wishes for babies, spouses, beauty, longevity, or for a good future. On the other hand, Singapore might not have winter, but Dong Zhi, or Winter Solstice celebration, is still commemorated by some circles. It’s the end-of-year equivalent of Qing Ming, where families would tidy the grave sites of their ancestors, as well as pray and make offerings to them for blessings.
Prayers and ancestral worship is an important part of commemorating these significant events, and here at Nirvana Singapore, we offer prayer services as part of our funeral services in Singapore, where professional staff can conduct these ceremonies to honour your ancestors and seek their favour upon you and your family. For more information about the different funeral service packages that we offer, please visit our website.