Different funeral rites from across the globe provide a fascinating window into how we commemorate our loved ones after they pass. It’s essential to explore this aspect of humankind because it gives us insight into ourselves and how we perceive the biggest unknown of them all—death.
Delve into some of the most distinct funerary rites on the planet and unearth how we all share the need to keep the memory of our loved ones alive.
Famadihana—Madagascar
This first fascinating funerary tradition originates in Madagascar. The Malagasy people have a unique, renowned ritual called Famadihana, or the turning of bones. Essentially, this obscure ritual involves burying the body of a loved one in a family crypt, which is a familiar practice.
But what might seem foreign is the part of this funerary rite that entails exhuming the cloth-wrapped bodies of the deceased every five to seven years. Once removed from their crypts, the bones of lost loved ones are sprayed with wine or perfume.
Then, the grieving carry the remains to a lively celebration of music, dancing, and remembrance of those who passed. Many use this as an opportunity to give news about other family members to the deceased. Others may choose to use the Famadihana as a time of reflection wherein they tell stories about the dead.
Burial Beads—South Korea
South Korea is unique in its methods of Memoriam. Of course, all cultures have distinct mourning rituals. But South Korea specifically has a beautiful and fascinating way of honoring loved ones. There most popular method for commemorating the deceased entails sending their remains to one of several companies and having them compressed into gem-like beads.
Typically, families will choose between turquoise, pink, or black beads. After they receive the beads, family and friends will display them in their homes as a way of memorializing those they’ve lost. This is a particularly interesting funerary tradition when you consider that South Korea had to start getting creative with how they handled their loved one’s remains.
This is because the government passed a law in 2000 requiring surviving families to remove a grave after 60 years due to a shortage of burial land. And while cremation is still a popular choice, these burial beads have become increasingly commonplace over the last couple of decades.
New Orleans Jazz Funeral—The United States
Of course, we can’t discuss different funeral rites from across the globe without mentioning the famous New Orleans jazz funerals. These jazz-tinged funeral processions fuse West-African, French, and African American traditions to create a lively and boisterous celebration for the deceased.
These funerals perfect the marriage of joy and grief for the deceased, as a marching band leads those grieving through the streets of New Orleans. Traditionally, the band will play sorrowful progressions as family and friends make their way to the committal service.
Once the committal service is complete, they shift and crescendo into a more upbeat tone. Generally, there’s a lot of dancing and a celebratory energy to these funerals. And that’s part of what makes them such an incredible way to honor the deceased and give those mourning a chance to find catharsis through a lively celebration of their loved one(s).
