化凶为吉的认同传承:马来西亚客家人的传统寿衣文化

The Transformation of Taboo into Wishes:The Tradition of Hakka Shouyi Costume in Malaya

按马来西亚客家人从祖先传承的历史传统,子孙送寿衣给父母,是养儿防老的具体实践。寿衣作为人生最贵重华丽丝绸衣服,甚至以金银线装饰或绲边,或装饰金纽,是老人庆祝重大喜庆或六十岁以上大寿,向亲友显扬人间孝道的体面礼服;子孙早逝,老人也可以变卖寿衣配件或整件寿衣,感受子孙预早操心父母养老的孝道。到老人离世,寿衣转为殓服,随着先人上路,表达着子孙尽孝;内层再穿上生前新婚曾为前明国殇戴孝穿过的素服,即是由白事带出发挥忠孝两全的身教,发挥家国情怀的吉思。也因此,直至上世纪初,以客家人占多的华人裁缝,把寿衣视为手艺荣誉,量身开剪都得择吉日用心思。裁缝学徒要满师,条件之一就是独立完成寿衣的水平。

Inherited from ancestral Hakka traditions, the Shouyi （ longevity clothes） is considered as the most dignified clothing among the Malayan Hakka. Normaly it is made of luxurious silk and presented by children to their parents. Colars, sleeves and highlight ted aspects of the Shouyi are always decorated in gold and silver thread, and they are worn as ceremonial dress for significant celebrations, most natably, for birthday celebrations for the over sixty. From the parentg perspective, the gift of Shouyi represents respect and fillial piety and is admired by both friends and relatives. In cases where the descendents pass away before their elders, the decorative elements of the Shouyi , for exam- ple, gold buttons, or even the whole Shouyi may be sold to support the elder in their senescence. At time of death, the Shouyi, as a demon- stration of their descendents filial piety will also be utilized as a burial shroud over a set of white clothes previously worn during their wedding rituals to worship ancestors and deities. This white attire is commemorative of the loss of the late Ming dynasty, and combined with the Shouyi represents loyalty and filal piety. Worn together, they represent an age of high ethical values prior to the Qing era when Chinese resettled in Malaya with the goal of reconstructing a traditional Ming Chinese identity. Until the early of 20th century, the Malayan Chinese tailors was mainly of Hakka origin. They regarded the proficient of making Shouyi as one of the commpnlsory requirements for apprentices.