Why Are Towels Given at Taiwanese Funerals? It's Not Just a Random Gift! The Real Purpose Behind This Practice Is Unknown to Many

Attending a funeral or memorial service in Taiwan, many people have had a similar experience: after handing over a white envelope with condolence money to the reception desk, the bereaved family often returns a towel, sometimes accompanied by a handkerchief, soap, or other small items. Some believe the towel is meant for "wiping away tears," while others say it was historically used by helpers who worked hard during funeral preparations and needed to wipe sweat. There's even a popular belief that this practice originated from Japanese customs.

However, looking into the history of Taiwanese funeral rites reveals that the towel's true significance goes far beyond being a simple household item. In fact, it is an essential part of a tradition known as "Da Zhi" (答紙), "Da Zhi Li" (答紙禮), or "Da Zhi Yin Fen" (答紙銀份)—a formal return gift from the mourning family to those who offered condolences.

According to the Daxi District Office’s Cemetery Management Unit in Taoyuan City, when relatives and friends offer financial condolences (known as "Chu Jing" or "Zhi Jing"), it is customary for the bereaved family to reciprocate with a token of appreciation. Today, the most common form of this return gift is a towel, which is typically handed back immediately upon receiving the condolence offering.

In other words, the now-familiar "funeral towel" is fundamentally a gesture of thanks from the grieving family to those who came to pay their respects and offered monetary support.

The Lanyang Museum published an article titled "Treating the Dead as the Living: On Funeral Rituals in Yilan Region (Part 2)" by Lin Qing-quan, a lecturer at Yilan Community University. It explains that offerings made by mourners—called "Chu Jing" or "paper tribute"—require a reciprocal response from the bereaved family, commonly referred to as "Da Zhi" or "Da Yin Zhi Fen." Historically, these return gifts were not always towels; they included food items like guī-guǒ (turtle-shaped cakes) or pastries. Over time, however, towels gradually became the standard.

Therefore, interpreting the funeral towel solely as something "to wipe tears" only captures part of its meaning. The core function of the towel is to fulfill the ritual obligation of "giving thanks after receiving a gift."

Originally, towels weren’t given at all—gifts evolved from meat and cakes.

So why did towels eventually become the norm?

A 2012 study by Han Bi-qin, published in the National Taiwan Normal University's Journal of Chinese Literature, titled "A Study on the Da Zhi Custom," traces the historical development of this practice. The research shows that "Da Zhi," also known as "Xie Diao" (thank you for condolences) or "Xie Xiao" (thank you for filial respect), originates from traditional funeral customs where the bereaved family expresses gratitude after receiving visits and offerings.

Over time, the form of this gratitude has changed. In earlier times, mourners might receive portions of sacrificial meat or cakes as tokens of appreciation. Later, ceremonial fabrics such as "xiao bo" (filial cloth), "xiao pa" (filial handkerchief), or "xiao jin" (filial towel) were used. Only gradually did modern towels become the dominant form.

Thus, giving towels today is just one modern manifestation of an ancient tradition—the continuity lies not in the towel itself, but in the act of the bereaved family expressing thanks to visitors.

This also explains why different regions and eras have seen varying return gifts. As recorded by the Lanyang Museum, in Yilan, past customs involved returning cakes or pastries, which have since been replaced by towels. When relatives or companies give gifts like canned goods, wine towers, or pastry sets, locals may even return towels based on the number of contributors—clearly showing the towel’s role as a symbolic return gift.

Did the Japanese introduce the practice of giving towels at funerals?

Another common folk belief is that this custom originated during Japan’s colonial rule of Taiwan, with some claiming that the Japanese government promoted towel use at funerals due to textile overproduction.

However, Han Bi-qin’s research specifically addresses this claim. It argues that the "Da Zhi" custom in Taiwan has deeper indigenous roots and is not simply a transplant of Japanese funeral practices. During the Japanese colonial era, towels were not yet common household items for most people. The widespread adoption of towels as return gifts occurred only after Taiwan’s post-war towel industry began to develop.

Therefore, the idea that "Japanese towel overproduction led authorities to promote funeral towel-giving" lacks sufficient historical evidence.

While the Japanese colonial period may have influenced the evolution of this custom, it would be inaccurate to claim that "giving towels at funerals" was invented by the Japanese or created as a way to dispose of surplus goods.

Can you take home and use the towel received at a funeral?

Another common question people have after receiving a funeral towel is: "Can I bring it home? Is it unlucky to use it for washing my face?"

There is no single nationwide rule governing this. Government and local ritual records describe the towel as a return gift from the bereaved family but do not mandate that it must be discarded. However, specific taboos do exist in certain regions and families. For example, field research collected by the Hakka Affairs Council on life rituals in Taitung records that some interviewees avoid using funeral-received towels for facial or body washing. Some choose to use them as cleaning rags, while others discard them before entering their homes.

This actually highlights how such taboos vary significantly by region and household.

Therefore, if elders in your family observe such customs, it’s respectful to follow them. But it would be incorrect to conclude that Taiwanese tradition universally prohibits bringing funeral towels home.

From a single unassuming towel, we can see how Taiwanese funeral customs have continuously evolved throughout history. Today’s towel may cost only a few dozen dollars, but it carries forward a tradition of gratitude—someone came to bid farewell to the deceased, and the bereaved family responds with a thank-you. Rather than seeing it merely as something to wipe away tears, this towel truly embodies a heartfelt "thank you" from the family to those who walked the final journey with their loved one.

Main Reference Materials: Han Bi-qin, "A Study on the Da Zhi Custom," Journal of Chinese Literature, No. 51, 2012, pp. 71–108. This study traces the historical origins of "Da Zhi," "Xie Diao," and "Xie Xiao," and documents the evolution from cakes and filial cloths to towels. Lanyang Museum, Lin Qing-quan, "Treating the Dead as the Living: On Funeral Rituals in Yilan Region (Part 2)," records Yilan’s customs regarding condolence offerings, Da Zhi, and the shift from pastries to towels. Taoyuan City Daxi District Office Cemetery Management Unit, "Explanation of Funeral Terms," explains that "Da Zhi," "Da Zhi Li," and "Da Zhi Yin Fen" are return gifts after receiving condolences. Kinmen Xianzhou Fuyuan, "Ritual Introduction," describes the process of condolence offerings and Da Zhi, noting that towel-based returns are now most common. Tainan City Funeral Information Service Website, "Glossary," records the custom of returning white cloth or towels during roadside memorials.