also: みずごくよう
noun
memorial service for a miscarried or stillborn child
Buddhist memorial service for a child who died before birth, including miscarriage, stillbirth, or abortion. Often involves Jizō statues and offerings.
See also: 水子
お寺で水子供養をしてもらった。
We had a memorial service for our miscarried child at the temple.
Standard kanji spelling.
Alternate reading; みずご is a variant pronunciation of 水子.
Refers to the child who died before birth; 水子供養 is the memorial service for such a child.
Compound of 水子 (mizuko, 'water child', a term for a child who died before birth) and 供養 (kuyō, 'memorial service'). The exact origin of 水子 is uncertain, but it is associated with the Buddhist concept of children who have not yet entered the human world.