Published 10/07/2023
by Laura Clipson
There are many diverse cultures around the world, each with their own traditions, beliefs and customs. Death is something that affects every culture, and every culture has its own way of mourning the passing of a loved one. In this blog post we’re looking at just a few of the many different funeral customs from around the world, used to honour and remember the dead.
The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) is celebrated annually on the 1st and 2nd of November, and is a vibrant tradition that honours deceased loved ones. Altars adorned with colourful decorations, candles, photos, and the favourite foods and drinks of the deceased are built by their families to help welcome them home, as it is believed that the souls of the departed return to celebrate with their loved ones. Skeletons are a big part of Day of the Dead festivities - sugar skulls placed as offerings on altars, faces painted to resemble a skull, revellers dressed in skeleton costumes. Day of the Dead festivities include parades, singing and dancing as people celebrate.
The Sky Burial is common amongst Buddhists, as it is seen as a way to send their loved ones’ souls to Heaven. Specific sites are used for this ritual, where a body will be cut up and left outside for vultures, who are considered sacred to Tibetan people, to devour. This allows the soul to depart from the now empty vessel of the body, while also giving sustenance to animals and returning the body to the earth. Rituals and prayers are performed to help with the process.
The turning of the bones, or Famadihana, is a ceremony performed by the Malagasy people in Madagascar. The bodies of their ancestors are removed from the family crypts so that the corpses can be re-wrapped in fresh cloth. This ceremony takes place every few years, allowing new family members to “meet” their ancestors, and people to share their memories of their deceased loved ones. The turning of the bones festival tends to take place over 2-3 days. The first day is Fidirana, the entry day, while the second day is “Famonosana”, the wrapping day. Once the bodies have been wrapped, relatives will then “dance with the dead”, celebrating their lives with music and dancing.
Jazz Funerals originated in New Orleans, and are still commonly found there. The ceremony begins with a wake for friends and family, and then there is a march to the church with a full brass band playing sombre music. Friends and family will carry pictures of the deceased as they follow the band. Once at the church, a traditional western style funeral is held. After the interment, the band would play cheerful, lively music for family and friends to dance to as a celebration of the life lived, rather than mourning a life lost.
Dakhma, or Tower of Silence, is a funeral custom in India. The deceased is placed on a circular structure at the top of a tower and left exposed to the elements and scavengers to decompose naturally. This was practised by Zoroastrians, who believed that contact with dead bodies could lead to contamination and corruption. Therefore the bodies were placed high up in these towers, where they could not contaminate the ground or the living dwelling there.
Funeral customs from around the world provide a rich tapestry of diverse beliefs and traditions that honour the departed and offer comfort to the living. While every culture has different customs and beliefs, all communities are united in their need to honour and cherish those who are no longer with us. Many of these customs focus on celebrating the life lived, rather than mourning the loss, and this is becoming more and more common in western funerals as well.
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