Yesterday, I saw a funeral possession pass by our house on its way to the wat. I found out that in the Thai tradition, when a funeral possession passes, everyone must remain silent until the coffin passes.
As it passed, I felt a strange, I'm-going-to-be-sick feeling in my gut. It was incredibly somber, as expected, but the feeling of seeing someone passed by you is scary, especially in Thailand where superstitions are a forceful presence in daily life.
There were people that walked behind the coffin, which was transported in a pick up truck, and drums and a few instruments that I didn't recognize where playing--some type of wind instruments.
This particular lady was in her old age when she passed away. I don't know what of. The family decided to keep her body in their house for 100 days before cremation. Usually, the body is cremated, and there is a celebration after 100 days to remember and pay our last respects to the deceased. The celebration is held at the wat, and movies and/or dances take place.
That's all I really know about Thai funeral traditions. I'll have to research more about it to understand the events taking place.
[found an article in Jade Dragon Magazine about a Thai funeral that Robert Wilson, an English teacher, attended. He goes into detail about the ceremony and atmosphere of a Thai funeral.]
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