Five Fascinating Funeral Rites From Around The World

All cultures past and present develop their own unique rites and rituals, so it’s not surprising that there’s such a wide variety of death rites around the world. In some places, the body is left to the elements to rot; in others it’s carefully tended for years after death. Some cultures like to celebrate the life of the deceased rather than mourn their death. But in every culture, the community stops and recognizes the death of one of its own in a way that reflects its culture and values.

So while you may be used to one way of mourning – perhaps that involves wearing black, sitting quietly and sending flowers to the survivors – that’s by no means the only way to do it. Here’s just a quick glimpse into some cultures around the world and how they honor their dead.

The Incredible Coffins In Ghana

A relatively new tradition that emerged circa 1950 among the Ga people of Ghana, “fantasy coffins” are a way to honor some aspect of the deceased by burying them in a coffin that’s shaped like something meaningful to them. For example, a fisher may be buried in a fish-shaped coffin, or a bus driver in a bus-shaped one. Life continues on after death, they believe, and commissioning a custom coffin is a final chance to pay respects to the deceased.

Condolence Money and Picking The Bones In Japan

In Japanese culture, it’s considered a social faux pas for two people to hold onto an object at the same time with chopsticks. The only time it’s acceptable is when family members pick the bones out of the ashes from their loved one who has just been cremated. They pick the bones out and place them in an urn, making sure to put the bones of the feet in first and the ones of the head last, so that the remains are right way up. Japan has one of the highest rates of cremation in the world, at over 99%.

Before the cremation, there’s a wake at which everyone wears black for mourning. Visitors to the house bring “condolence money” in special envelopes called koden bukuro to the family of the deceased. When they leave, visitors are given a gift worth half or a quarter of the condolence money they gave.

Saving Space In South Korea

Like Japan, South Korea also has a high rate of people choosing cremation after death. Not surprising, considering the country passed a law in 2000 stating that if you bury someone, you have to remove them 60 years later due to lack of space for burial. Out of this trend has emerged a new trend in the past few years: “death beads,” which are the compressed remains of the deceased. Rather than wearing them as jewelry, family members often keep the beads in containers so as to keep the deceased close by.

“Sky Burials” In Mongolia And Tibet

Vajrayana Buddhists in this part of the world continue a tradition that’s gone on for thousands of years: chopping up the body of the deceased and leaving it out in the elements either to decompose (often on a mountaintop) or to be eaten by animals (often vultures). This is the fastest way to return the body to the earth, which after death is considered just a vessel; the soul has already left the body. It’s also a way to be part of the cycle of birth and death, feeding another animal with your body as a last act of generosity.

Dancing With The Dead In Madagascar

Famadihana, aka “turning of the bones” or “placing of the dead,” is a centuries-old tradition among the Merina and Betsileo peoples of Madagascar. It involves exhuming the remains of deceased relatives, wrapping them in new cloth, and dancing with the bodies to live music. It serves as a chance for family to reunite and to show their respect to the deceased.