「暖喪」一詞，雖不見於禮經，然文獻典籍多所記載；且眾說紛紜，有相互乖舛者，亟待釐清，故而裒集文獻，深入考斠，期能探賾「暖喪」禮俗之全豹，並彰顯其推移流轉之跡。「暖喪」（餪喪）因地區分隔，「百里不同風，千里不同俗」，不僅名稱分歧、暖喪之日期不一、暖喪之方式亦隨時間之流轉，結合戲劇歌舞儀式，而有喪戲演劇之產生。禮之所尊，尊其義也；「義」為其內在結構性價值，為不變之常道，雖百世可知也；呈現之方式，受時、空影響，則為多元化，為變動不居，故而三代殊制。暖喪雖有眾多方式，或以凶樂不分、吉凶集一人之身論之，然細繹其俗，若不具備內在之結構性價值，則易流為形式主義，暖喪亦復如是。

The term “bereavement warming” was not found in Chinese classics of rites, but appeared in many popular literatures and books. The meaning of bereavement warming diversified considerably even in opposite way. The purpose of this study was to reestablish the origin of bereavement warming and its transformation with time. The term and the dates of bereavement warming varied with area because of spatial separation. The forms of the activity also varied with time and even drama and dancing were included in some cases. The most important of rites is its rightness. Rightness is its internal structural value which will not changed with time. However, the form of rites may vary with space and time and become significant different after generations. If the internal structural value cannot be conserved the etiquette will become formalism. The “bereavement warming” etiquette is the same.