Crying Ladies
By Toni
@toniganzon (77320)
Philippines
February 21, 2026 4:39am CST
It's a Chinese tradition that is being practiced in my country by the Chinese community to hire professional mourners at a funeral. We refer to them as the crying ladies.
Enhancing the funeral's emotional intensity is a sign of respect and to honor the deceased.
We didn't have to hire anybody during my parent's funeral. Too many mourners came. They were considered heroes in our hometown. Friends and family from different cities and countries came too. The funeral march were kilometers long.
Today, February 21st is their 35th death anniversary. The pain of losing them is still there. I still shed a tear.
11 people like this
7 responses
@misunderstood_zombie (8765)
• United States
22 Feb
I'm so sorry for your loss. It's sad today just as much when a loss occurs.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77320)
• Philippines
22 Feb
Indeed it was. The month of February is a depressing month for me.
1 person likes this
@snowy22315 (209180)
• United States
21 Feb
So sorry Toni.. professional mourners..wow
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77320)
• Philippines
21 Feb
Yes, that tradition in my country is slowly disappearing but I'm not sure if it's still happening in China and Taiwan.
1 person likes this
@LindaOHio (222898)
• United States
21 Feb
I'm so sorry about your parents, Toni.
I can't imagine hiring professional mourners.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77320)
• Philippines
21 Feb
SAme. But it's a tradition for most Chinese though some of them don't do it anymore.
1 person likes this
@valherma00 (4000)
• Zagreb, Croatia (Hrvatska)
21 Feb
sorry about your parents. some unusual tradition.
1 person likes this
@toniganzon (77320)
• Philippines
21 Feb
Yes, such tradition is slowly fading away in my country. In fact, it's not easy to find crying ladies anymore. But I'm not sure if it's still prevalent in China and Taiwan.
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
22 Feb
I'm not aware of that practice. I'm sorry for your loss.
