Mourning -

It refers to a state of abstinence from the impurity of death. When a family dies, it has been believed that not only the family, but also blood relatives and people who eat food cooked over the family fire are all affected by the impurity. For this reason, people take a period of time off work, do not appear in front of the altar or in formal places, and stay quietly in their homes. In a home during mourning, the kamidana (shrine) is closed, a blind is hung upside down at the entrance to the house, and a blank piece of paper with the word "mourning" written on it is placed at an angle. In the prefectures of Yamagata, Niigata, Nagano, Gunma, and Kanagawa, a sign indicating the mourning period, called a monpei, is erected outside the entrance. In the olden days, a mourning house was built near the burial site, and relatives stayed there and lived in mourning clothes. There are two types of mourning: mourning and clothing. Although it is quite confusing and confusing, mourning is a state of strict modesty, and the state of dress is somewhat lighter than that of mourning. For example, the state of mourning continues for seven days after the death, after which the state of dress is maintained until the 49th day, when daily life returns to normal. Since prohibiting all work during mourning would be disruptive to daily life, as the concept of mourning faded, the period was shortened, and events on the 49th day were often held on the 7th day or immediately after the funeral.

In Motoyoshi County, Miyagi Prefecture, the seventh day is the end of the mourning period, but those who must go out to sea early to fish can eat fish and abstain from mourning, and return to the same state as when the mourning period ends. The reason not to eat fish during misfortune is probably based on Buddhist doctrine, but when the mourning period ends, people actively eat fish and try to return to a normal state. These are called shojin barai, shojin age, shojin ochi, and shojin otoshi. Since people do not visit shrines during the mourning period, some places make a pilgrimage to the gods when the mourning period ends, and the blank paper pasted on the indoor Shinto altar is also removed at the end of the mourning period. When the lighter mourning period ends, one is supposed to be completely free from the impurity of death, but the mourning period remains for a while, usually continuing until around the time of the New Year. If New Year's Day falls within 49 days of the death, no New Year's ceremonies are held, but if more time has passed, people may eat and drink together at the end of the year to celebrate New Year's Eve, and then celebrate the normal New Year's Day as if the year had ended. The concept of mourning differed depending on the closeness of the blood relationship to the deceased - for example, 100 days for parents and children, 49 days for siblings, and 7 days for cousins ​​- but within the family system, it has become common for mourning to be observed as a group on a household level. Nowadays, those in mourning do not send New Year's cards, but instead send greeting cards at the end of the year to apologize for not receiving New Year's cards, and mid-winter greeting cards after the New Year.

[Shoji Inoguchi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

死の穢(けが)れに対して、忌み慎んでいる状態をいう。一家のうちに死人が出ると、その家族ばかりでなく、血族も、その家の火で煮炊きした物を食べた人も、みな穢れの影響を受けるものと考えられてきた。そのため一定期間は仕事を休み、神前や晴れがましい場所に出ず、静かに家にこもる。喪中の家では神棚(かみだな)を閉め、家の入口に簾(すだれ)を裏返しにつるし、白紙に「忌中」と書いて斜めにつける。山形、新潟、長野、群馬、神奈川の諸県では、門牌(もんぺい)などと称する忌中標識を入口の外に立てる。古くは埋葬地の近くに喪屋(もや)を設け、親族はここにこもって忌服(きぶく)の生活を送ったようである。喪には忌(き)と服とがある。かなり混同し混乱しているが、忌は厳重な慎みの状態で、服は忌に比べていくらか軽い状態である。たとえば死後7日間は忌の状態が続き、そのあと四十九日まで服の状態を守り、それが終わると日常の生活に戻る。喪中の間にいっさいの仕事を禁じたのでは、生活に差し支えるので、忌(い)みの観念の薄れるにしたがって期間は短縮され、49日目の行事を7日目にしたり、葬式直後に済ませることも多くなった。

　宮城県本吉(もとよし)郡では、7日目が忌中ばらいであるが、早く海に出て漁をしなければならぬ者だけは、魚を食べて精進(しょうじん)上げをすれば、忌が明けたと同じ状態になれるとしている。不幸のときになまぐさ物を食べないのは、仏教の教義に基づくものであろうが、喪の晴れる時期には積極的になまぐさ物を食べ、平常の状態に戻ろうとする。精進ばらい、精進上げ、精進落ち、精進落としなどという。忌中の間は神社に参らないから、忌明けのおりに進んで神参りをする所もあり、屋内の神棚に張った白紙を取り除くのも忌明けのときである。軽いほうの忌み（服）が明けると、完全に死の穢れから遠ざかったはずであるが、しばらくは忌みが残っており、普通、新年を迎える前後まで続く。死後49日までに正月がくれば、正月行事はしないが、もっと日がたっていると、年の暮れに共同飲食をして年越しを済ませ、1年を終わったものとして、改めて普通の正月を迎える例がある。喪の観念は、死者との血縁の親疎によって、たとえば親子は100日、兄弟は49日、いとこは7日というような差異があったが、家族制度のなかで家単位にまとめて戒慎することが多くなった。現在は喪中の者は年賀状を出さず、暮れのうちに年賀欠礼の挨拶(あいさつ)状を出したり、正月明けに寒中見舞い状を出す。

［井之口章次］

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