All over the world the death of a loved one is a painful event. It doesn’t matter what culture you belong to or what religion you profess: we all regret when someone we love goes to the next world.
Where we do differ is how each culture celebrates and honors the deceased. In this vast world there are all kinds of funerals, from magnificent and solemn burials to colorful, joyful and musical parties.
Next We will see the most important types of funeral rituals both talking about the main religions and some very striking funeral celebrations.
In all cultures, death is something painful. Saying goodbye to someone we love is not an easy thing. Whether they are parents, siblings, friends or, very sadly, children, saying goodbye to a place where we are not sure what it is like is something painful. Each culture has its own theories about what happens to the soul once it leaves the body, and the funeral is a very different ritual from country to country.
What the funerals of each culture have in common is their objective With them, the loved ones of the deceased intend to express the feelings of love and appreciation that they had for him in life, and that they continue to have for him once he has passed away. They loved him in life and, now that he is gone, they remember him, tell anecdotes about him and remember all kinds of experiences with him.
Next we will see various types of funeral rituals. First we will see the most widespread funeral rites of the largest religions on the planet and, later, we will learn about some characteristic rites of cities, communities and countries that attract attention for having a very curious way of celebrating death.
Rites by religions
Although there are as many religions on this planet as there are cultures, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism and various branches of Christianity are the most widespread faiths. In each of them there is a different way of honoring the deceased. There are even variations between countries that profess the same religion. Next we will see the main funeral rituals according to religion.
1. Judaism
Jewish funeral rituals begin even before death. Before the time comes, it is very important to accompany the person in their last moments, so that they can transition safely from the earthly world to the spiritual one.
Once deceased, and before the burial takes place, the corpse is washed for purification and wrapped in a white shroud. Men take care of deceased men, and women take care of women.
Traditionally, Jews buried the body of the deceased directly without a coffin, but given how unhygienic this was, they had to change the norm, burying their deceased in coffins, in which no flowers were placed.
A six-pointed Star of David is placed at the head of the coffin. Those attending the ceremony place a stone on top of it, as a sign that they have been present at the farewell In the Jewish religion, cremation is prohibited, and burial in the ground is required.
At the funeral, immediate family members tear off a garment as an expression of pain, a ritual known as Kriá. This torn clothing will continue to be worn for weeks as a sign of long mourning, since this involves several stages and is a fairly long process compared to other religions.
1.1. Aninut
The Aninut is between the death of the deceased and his burial It is the moment in which the relatives of the deceased are exempt from any religious requirement.
1.2. Lamentation
The lamentation takes place the first three days after the funeral. Those in mourning should remain at home and not respond, not even to greetings They cannot be shaved or groomed, and must recite the Kaddish, one of the main prayers of the Jewish religion, the text of which is written almost entirely in Aramaic.
Women cannot use cosmetics or makeup in any form, as an act of respect and mourning for the death of their loved one.
1.3. Shiva
The Shiva takes place seven days after the burial. The ban on shaving continues and they must continue wearing torn clothes, but they can now interact with people who expresses his pain.
1.4. Sheloshim
The Sheloshim is given 30 days after the burial. The family member can now leave home and reintegrate into society, but without leading a normal life completely. It is at the end of this period when they can shave and groom themselves in general.
1.5. A year of mourning
As surprising as it may seem, The death of a loved one implies showing a year of mourning in Jewish culture During those 12 months it is prohibited to participate in parties, both public and private.
2. Buddhism
Buddhism is not a homogeneous religion. It has many sects, that is, religious branches. This is why there are many readings and many different schools, but they all share the same idea about the eternity of life: death is not the end of life, but the beginning of another.
Buddhists believe in reincarnation, although they do not refer to it that way They think that the human being is only the transmitter of uninterrupted energy, which is the result of forces accumulated during previous existences. It is the endless wheel of karma, a transcendent, invisible and immeasurable energy. Depending on the actions that the deceased has done in life, he or she will be reborn into a pleasant or unpleasant being.
The funeral ritual varies depending on the Buddhist current. During the ceremony the Tibetan Book of the Dead or Pardo Toichoi is usually read. The title of this book in its original language, Tibetan, literally means “liberation by hearing during the intermediate state,” describing what it is for. According to Buddhists, the deceased is going through an intermediate state between this life and the next, and reading this book helps facilitate this process.
The body is prepared with formaldehyde so that it can be preserved at home for seven days before cremation. According to Buddhism, cremating the corpse will allow the spirit to be released from the body. It is in those seven days that the monks go to pray to him The ashes are usually scattered by a river. For 49 days, family and friends will present offerings, such as drinks and food.
3. Catholicism
In the Catholic Christian religion there are different ways of proceeding depending on the culture. However, there are two universal rituals that Catholics follow before and after death: the anointing of the sick and the recommendation of the soul, a blessing presenting the deceased to the God who welcomes him.
Once the person has died, and before the burial takes place, the wake is attended. The wake has a very important psychological component, which consists of recognizing that the person has died, that they are no longer with us. It also has the function of accompanying family members so that they see that they are not alone in their pain that there are more people who mourn his death.
At the funeral there is a Eucharist and thanks are given at the end of life. Within the Catholic religion it is important, one year or six months after death, to have a remembrance mass to make the family member see that people still care about the person who has died. They believe in the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Death separates the soul from the body, causing the former to encounter God.
In Catholicism there is currently quite a bit of freedom regarding how the deceased should dress He can be dressed in any way, but he usually opts for formal suits or some clothing that was meaningful to him.
The body can be buried or cremated, and until relatively recently there was very little guidance as to what could be done. However, since 2016 the Holy See has established that the ashes of Catholics cannot be scattered, divided or kept at home, nor can jewelry be made from them, such as diamonds from the carbon of the remains. The Church strongly recommends that bodies be buried in cemeteries or other sacred places.
4. Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses face death in a very serene way. This is because they believe in the future resurrection, and therefore there is nothing to worry about. They do not experience the feeling of agonizing despair, because they think that they have not lost their loved one. Yes, they feel pain and sorrow, but it is lighter because, someday, According to your belief system, your loved one will return It hasn’t disappeared.
Within Jehovah’s Witnesses there is no funeral rite per se. When a loved one dies, a brief speech is presented about the life expectancy that the Bible gives to end up in a better world. It talks about the deceased, his convictions and his strengths. The wake is held in a sober place, without religious symbols.
Among Jehovah’s Witnesses cremation is generally chosen. The most important thing during the death of someone is to make sure that the family feels supported by the Community
5. Islam
In Islam it is taught that death is a divine decree, which can come at any time. It is recommended to face these difficult moments by saying “We all belong to God and to Him we must return”, an expression that behind it comes to mean that you must accept the situation, be patient and show sadness, not anger or fury.
An interesting aspect of the Muslim religion is that they believe in resurrection, not reincarnation From this religion, death is seen as the end of one stage and, in turn, the beginning of another.
After death, the deceased is placed on his right side, facing the Qibla, that is, the direction towards the Kaaba in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. The corpse is washed, with the women taking care of the women and the men taking care of the men. His eyes are closed and his body is covered with white cotton cloth. The body will be buried facing Mecca and should never be cremated, since this religion prohibits it.
Many supplications are made for the deceased and a reading of the Quran is dedicated to him, whether partial or complete In all cases, a quick burial and a simple funeral are recommended. The funeral is a time for the congregation of family and acquaintances, remembering the good times with the deceased person and forgiving them for their mistakes.
6. Evangelical Church
The Evangelical Church believes in resurrection, which should not be confused with reincarnation or dissolution. Death implies passing into eternity before the presence of Jesus Christ. Death is not the end.
There is an element of sadness, of pain due to separation, but they are also times for hope and transcendence The body of the deceased is veiled in the funeral home, where religious leaders and members of the community will be present, since the evangelists are very united.
Before the burial, a religious service is held, with songs and readings from the Bible. Throughout the ceremony sobriety prevails and simplicity is preferred. What is important is the personal, solemn feeling, and not the superfluous ceremonial. There are no candles, no flowers or crucifixes.
Rituals according to country
After having seen the main funeral rituals according to religion, it is time to see the most interesting ones according to each culture, be it Christian, Muslim, Buddhist or any other religion that is not so mainstream but, of course, its worldview and funeral rituals do not pass. unnoticed.
1. The skulls of Bolivia
Many of the people of the Andes believe that people have seven souls, which go to different places when the person dies. One of these souls remains in the skull of the deceased, and has the power to visit the living through their dreams, in order to heal and protect them.
It is because of this belief that many Bolivians keep the skulls of their loved ones in their homes. They do not feel any fear of skulls and, in fact, they display them in display cases and altars. Many families keep them in a highly visible place in the home to protect them.
On November 9, the festival of Ñatitas or Skull Day is celebrated It is during this day that family members dress them in hats of all kinds or traditional Andean wool caps, and they are crowned with ornamental flowers. The skulls are taken to a special chapel, where they will attend mass. These skeletal remains are treated as when they were alive, offering them cigarettes, coca leaves or alcoholic beverages.
2. Zoroastrian funeral
The Parsis are a people originating from ancient Persia who currently reside in India, descendants of Persians who took refuge in that country when their original nation was conquered between the 8th and 10th centuries by the Arabs
Its community is faithful to the Zoroastrian religion, possibly the oldest organized religion in the world. Zoroastrianism follows the teachings of the Iranian prophet Zarathustra and currently has about 2 million believers. It dictates that we must be respectful of the four elements of nature, namely: water, fire, earth and air. This maxim affects their lifestyle and also how they celebrate death.
The Parsis place their deceased at the top of the Dakhma or Towers of Silence, which are funerary structures made from two towers with a dome in the middle. Once there, the corpses are defleshed by vultures, who will feast on their meat. Thus, between peck and peck, the bones are cleaned by the birds and, later, the sun’s rays will be responsible for calcining the bone remains.
This type of funeral is very respectful of the four elements, fundamental for Zoroastrians. They do not bury the corpse by dirtying the earth, nor do they throw it into the water or burn it with fire since this would contaminate the air. Water, fire, air and land are kept clean while the cycle of life continues to function
3. Balinese cremation
In Bali, dying is a celebration, and if the deceased is a well-known or aristocratic personality, even more so. In the Balinese tradition, cremation frees the soul so that it is free and can inhabit a new body
A well-known case of this is the cremation of the leader Agung Suyasa, head of the royal family of the city of Ubud. In 2008, his cremation was celebrated, with Suyasa being cremated so that his earthly elements could release his soul and it would reach heaven through the stream of sparks from the fire.
To achieve this, the 68 bodies of his recently deceased commoners and another 3 of members of the royal family were placed on the royal pyre. This particular celebration is considered the most impressive in Bali, given that this funeral was wrapped in the mysticism and hypnotism of fire.
4. Jazz in New Orleans
Dying in New Orleans, Louisiana, is also a party. Funerals there are a balance between joy and pain, accompanied by the jazz of a band of musicians At the beginning of the celebration, the band plays painful songs but, once the body is buried, the music becomes more lively.
With the rhythm of the music, the attendees begin to dance cathartically. It is true that we have come to honor the deceased and what better way than to do so by feeling joy because he is in a better place? The dead reunite with the creator, and the living must take advantage of the fact that they are still alive, and dancing is one of those pleasures in life that reminds us how alive we are.
