Definition

1. Verb:
   • To hold a mourning-wearing ceremony: The act of conducting a formal ceremony where family members begin wearing mourning clothes (usually white or black garments made of coarse fabric) immediately after a death in the family. This ritual marks the official start of the mourning period in traditional Vietnamese culture.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Gia đình sẽ phát tang cho cụ ông vào sáng mai. (The family will hold the mourning-wearing ceremony for the patriarch tomorrow morning.)
  • Theo phong tục, lễ phát tang được cử hành ngay tại nhà. (According to custom, the mourning-wearing ceremony is conducted right at home.)
  • Sau khi phát tang, con cháu bắt đầu thời gian để tang. (After holding the mourning-wearing ceremony, the children and grandchildren begin the mourning period.)

Advanced Usage

• The term "phát tang" specifically refers to the initial, formal ceremony. The subsequent, longer period is called "để tang" (to observe mourning).
• It is often part of a sequence: "phát tang" (ceremony to start wearing clothes) → "để tang" (the act of mourning over time) → "mãn tang" (the end of the mourning period).

Variants and Related Words

• Lễ phát tang (n): The mourning-wearing ceremony itself.
  • Lễ phát tang được tổ chức rất trang nghiêm. (The mourning-wearing ceremony was organized very solemnly.)
• Để tang (v): To observe mourning, to be in mourning.
  • Con trai trưởng sẽ để tang ba năm. (The eldest son will observe mourning for three years.)
• Đồ tang (n): Mourning clothes, funeral attire.
  • Mọi người mặc đồ tang trắng trong lễ phát tang. (Everyone wore white mourning clothes during the ceremony.)

Synonyms

• Cử hành lễ tang: To hold a funeral ceremony (a broader term that may include "phát tang").
• Làm lễ mặc đồ tang: To perform the ceremony of putting on mourning clothes (a descriptive synonym).

Notes on Meaning

• "Phát tang" is a specific cultural and religious ritual. It is not simply a synonym for a funeral ("đám tang"). The funeral ("đám tang" or "lễ tang") is the overall event, while "phát tang" is a key ceremonial part within it where mourning garments are distributed and worn.
• The word is considered formal and is used in the context of traditional rites.

1. Hold a mouring-wearing ceremony