#Ryotei Kinoene in #Kuki City, Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Flow before and after the Offering of the Cup
The following is a description of the flow before and after the offering of a toast. If you understand the flow of the dedication, you will be able to respond calmly and without panic when the time comes. In particular, if you are planning to give a speech during the toast offering, please read through it carefully.
(1) Move to the dining room
After the funeral or memorial service is over, move to the place where the meal will be served. If the family of the deceased or a staff member of the funeral home provides directions, do not move without permission, but wait there.
(2) Be seated
When you arrive at the dining room, take your seat. Unless the seating arrangements have been made in advance, each attendee is free to take his or her seat. Since the mourners and relatives are the hostesses, they should be seated in the lower section of the table.
(3) Drinks are poured
Once everyone is seated, the deceased is offered a drink, after which drinks are poured for the attendees. In our case, we prepare the drinks for the offering in advance. As mentioned earlier, please be careful not to pour drinks without permission.
(4) Greetings are given
After everyone has been served their drinks, greetings are given. The person giving the greeting should get up from his/her seat and move to the designated area.
(5) Offering of toast
After the greetings are over, the representative of the family offers a "toast" and leads the ceremony. The attendees lift their cups to their chests, say "Dedication" and then sip their drinks.
⑥Start eating
After the offering of the cup, eating and drinking begin. Since the purpose of the Shojinshi and Gosai is to "remember the deceased," it is advisable to talk about memories of the deceased during the meal. It is against manners to be loud or to drink too much alcohol.
Please observe the manners and procedures for the dedication of a toast!
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