Covering Mirrors, Door Signs, and the Broken Comb: Chinese Funeral Household Customs

After a death in a Chinese household, the home itself becomes a ritual space. Before the body arrives for the wake — or as soon as the death is confirmed if the person died at home — the family performs a series of household preparations that most outsiders find puzzling but which carry serious spiritual weight in traditional belief. Each act addresses a specific metaphysical concern: protecting the living from death pollution, signaling the death to the community, and preserving the connection between the deceased's soul and the family.

Here's what each custom means and why it still matters.

Covering the Mirrors

All mirrors in the wake space — and ideally throughout the home — must be covered with red paper or white cloth immediately after a death is confirmed. This is one of the most universal Chinese funeral customs, observed across dialect groups and religious traditions.

The spiritual logic: A mirror is believed to be able to trap or reflect a soul. If the deceased's spirit sees its own reflection, it may become confused about whether it is alive or dead, potentially anchoring it to the mortal plane rather than allowing it to transition to the afterlife. Worse, if a living family member sees the coffin reflected in a mirror, the reflection is believed to create a spiritual link between that person and death — inviting sudden illness, misfortune, or another death in the family.

What to cover: Every mirror in the room where the casket will be placed, plus any mirrors in hallways between the casket and the entrance. If the wake occupies the entire ground floor, cover mirrors throughout. Cover bathroom mirrors too; the traditional precaution extends throughout the home.

What to use: Red paper is traditional (red wards off evil and purifies); white cloth also works and is more practical for large mirrors. Tape the covering securely — a mirror that comes uncovered during the wake will alarm traditional relatives.

Covering Deity Statues

In homes with a Buddhist or Taoist altar, all deity statues and images must be covered with red paper as soon as the death is confirmed. This applies to Guan Yin, the Jade Emperor, earth gods (Tu Di Gong), and any other deity figures in the home.

The spiritual logic: Death introduces spiritual pollution (xieqi) into the environment. Deities must be shielded from this impurity — exposing them to the energy of death is considered disrespectful and may cause them to withdraw their protection from the household.

The deity altar remains covered for the duration of the wake and is uncovered only after the funeral and an appropriate purification period, according to family or clergy guidance.

Door Signage and the Mourning Banner

A banner or cloth is hung over the front door of the home to publicly announce that a death has occurred. The specifics vary by region:

• White cloth or banner (dui): The most common — a white draping over the door frame signals mourning.
• A square of white paper with the character for death may be pinned to the door in some regions.
• In some communities, the paper is color-coded by the deceased's age: white for a standard death, red for an elder who lived past 80 (a "joyous funeral").

The door signage serves two purposes: it warns visitors and neighbors that the household is in mourning (so they can adjust their behavior — no celebratory noises, no red decorations on their own door), and it marks the threshold between the ritual space inside and the ordinary world outside.

Neighbors' response: In some communities, neighbors hang a small piece of red cloth or red paper on their own doors to ward off the death energy emanating from the mourning household. This is a protective act, not an expression of hostility.

Gong Placement

A gong is placed beside the front door of the wake space to announce the death. The placement follows a specific rule:

• Left side of the door: Male deceased
• Right side of the door: Female deceased

The gong is struck at the beginning of the wake and at key ritual moments — the arrival of the priest, the start of major chanting sessions, and the departure of the coffin on the funeral day. Between these moments, it sits silently as a visual marker.

Getting the side wrong — placing it on the left for a female deceased, or vice versa — is considered a significant error that misidentifies the deceased to visiting spirits and community members. If you're unsure, ask the funeral director or an elder relative before placing it.

The Broken Comb

The deceased's personal comb is broken in half. One half is placed inside the casket to accompany the spirit; the other half is kept by the family.

The spiritual logic: The comb represents the daily, intimate act of grooming — something the living person did every day. Breaking it in two symbolizes the physical separation between the living and the dead. The half that goes with the deceased provides a familiar personal object for the journey; the half kept by the family maintains a tangible connection to the person they've lost.

This custom is quiet and personal. It's usually performed during body preparation, before encoffinment. Unlike the more public customs (the banner, the gong), the broken comb is a family-only ritual that visitors don't see.

Clearing the Living Room

Before the body arrives for the wake, the living room (or whatever room will serve as the wake space) is cleared of furniture. The space is wiped down and may be purified with incense smoke. This is functional — you need room for the casket, altar, and visitor seating — but also symbolic. The space is being transformed from a domestic area into a ritual space, and removing the everyday furniture marks that transition.

Any ancestral tablets or deity figures in the cleared room must be covered or temporarily moved (with appropriate prayers) before the casket is brought in.

These household customs are among the first things a family needs to handle after a death, and they're often the most confusing for family members who didn't grow up observing them. The Traditional Chinese Funeral & Ancestor Veneration guide includes a first-24-hours checklist that covers every household preparation step, from covering mirrors to setting the altar, so nothing is missed during the most disorienting hours.