Definition

1. Verb:
   • To disinter for reburial: The primary meaning of "cải táng" is the ritual act of exhuming human remains, typically bones, from their original burial place to be cleaned, placed in a new container, and reburied in a different, often more auspicious, location. This is a significant practice in Vietnamese ancestor veneration and folk belief, often performed several years after the initial burial.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Gia đình anh ấy đã cải táng cho ông nội sau mười năm. (His family disinterred his grandfather's remains for reburial after ten years.)
  • Theo phong tục, việc cải táng cần được thực hiện vào một ngày tốt. (According to custom, the disinterment for reburial must be performed on an auspicious day.)
  • Sau khi cải táng, hài cốt được đặt vào một tiểu sành mới. (After disinterment, the bones were placed into a new ceramic urn.)

Advanced Usage

• The practice of "cải táng" is deeply rooted in geomancy () and the belief that the location of an ancestor's grave can affect the fortune of the living descendants. It is also called "bốc mộ."
• It is typically performed during a specific, limited period of the year, often in the lunar calendar.

Variants and Related Words

• Bốc mộ (v): A more colloquial synonym for "cải táng," meaning to exhume a grave.
• Cải mả (v): A regional variant with the same meaning as "cải táng."
• Cải tạo (v): To renovate, to reform. This is a completely different word and concept, often used in socio-political contexts (e.g., land reform, re-education). Do not confuse with "cải táng."

Synonyms

• To disinter for reburial
• To exhume and rebury
• To transfer remains

Related Cultural Notes

• Cải táng is not merely a physical act but a solemn ritual. It involves ceremonies to ask for the ancestor's permission, careful cleaning of the bones (), and a final reburial ceremony.
• The condition of the remains upon exhumation is often interpreted as a sign of the ancestor's peace and the family's current luck.

verb

1. To disinter for reburial