condolence money; gift at a memorial service
A monetary offering given at a Buddhist memorial service or funeral to express condolences and help with expenses. Often placed in a special envelope marked 御弔祭料.
I brought condolence money to my friend's wake.
It is customary to write the envelope for condolence money in light ink.
御霊前 is the phrase written on the envelope for a funeral offering, whereas 弔祭料 is the term for the offering itself at a memorial service.
Compound of 弔祭 (chōsai, 'memorial service') and 料 (ryō, 'fee' or 'money'). The exact historical derivation is uncertain, but the term is conventionally associated with Buddhist memorial practices.