Death Rituals In America

At some point in our lives, we all come to realize that death is a part of life. Cultural diversity provides a wide variety of lifestyles and traditions for each of the unique groups of people in our world. Within these different cultures, the rituals associated with death and burial can also be uniquely diverse. Many consider ritualistic traditions that differ from their own to be somewhat strange and often perceive them as unnatural. A prime example would be the burial rituals of the Native American people.

Different cultures, countries, religions, and community with various behaviors and rituals that guides their belief and action when a loved one pass away. Religious and spiritual belief, type of life after death, superstitious beliefs after death and beliefs towards the meaning of life are all based on tradition and death ritual.

The life transition of death and dying is inevitably one with which we will all be faced; we will all experience the death of people we hold close throughout our lifetime. This paper will explore the different processes of grief including the bereavement, mourning, and sorrow individuals go through after losing someone to death. Bereavement is a period of adaptation following a life changing loss. This period encompasses mourning, which includes behaviors and rituals following a death, and the wide range of emotions that go with it. Sorrow is the state of ongoing sadness not overcome in the grieving process; though not pathological, persistent

Death is inevitable part of human experience, which is often associated with fear of unknown, separation, and spiritual connection. Death is an individual experience, which is based on unique perceptions and beliefs. Fear of death and dying seems to be a universal phenomenon, which is closely associated with apprehension and uneasiness. Death is allied with permanent loss, thus personal experiences of grief are similar in many different cultures. There are different mourning ceremonies, traditions, and behaviors to express grief, but the concept of permanent loss remains unchanged in cross cultural setting. With this paper I will identify cross-cultural perspectives on death and dying, and will analyze

This knowledge of death is common among many, including both Jewish and Modern Americans. However, even though this idea of inevitable death is noted in both Jewish texts and the Bible, the burial practices are not so similar. Early Jew and Modern American customs differ in terms of preparation of the body, funeral services and burial. Showing respect for the deceased is common among both cultures, however the way respect is shown is key to understanding their customs.

According to Lauren Winner, “Judaism understands mourning as a discipline, one in which the mourner is not only allowed, but expected, to be engaged (Winner, 28).” In Judaism, friends, family and members of the church are more involved when someone is morning. During time of morning, there are four spaces or stages. The first stage is called aninut. This stage occurs after the death of someone but before their funeral. During this time, mourners focus on getting things ready for the funeral and they do not have to go to prayer services or welcome any guests at their homes. Also during this time, the people in the Jewish community are not obligated to visit the people who are morning. The second stage is called shiva. This stage occurs a week after the funeral. In this stage, the mourners go home and sit on low chairs. They do not leave their house, or wear perfume or even listen to music. On the seventh day, family and friends will bring food. They all have a meal together called seudat havra’ah. The third stage is called

The most common effect of death in a family is known as grief. When we understand it better, it makes the process a little less daunting. We have to realize as humans, we are not alone. Everyone has lost someone they loved and it's a natural thing to deal with. There is no normal way of dealing with death. It doesn't have patterns or a set way of dealing with it.

In its most recognizable form, the African diaspora refers to the many cultures and societies abroad that exist throughout the world as the result of the historic movement, mostly forced, of native Africans to other parts of the globe. Most specifically, the African diaspora is the blanket term used to represent a confluence of events that led to the forced displacement of millions of innocent people. The term first originated in the 1950s and initial studies focused on the “dispersal of people of

Rituals act as a source of comfort and express love towards the deceased. For example, in the Jewish traditions after a loved one has died, they practice Shiva. Shiva is a seven-day ritual where mourners sit low to the ground and withdrawal from everyday normal activities. This grace period helps mourners to explore their emotions of relief, sorrow, and regret (Diamant, 112-113). Different rituals show respect and help mourners to cope with death. Everyone wants to die with a happy ending. Author Erica Brown states, “A happier ending has two vantage points: the first from the person who is dying and the second from those left behind” (Brown, 16). Brown expresses in her book, Happier Endings, her frightened feelings about death. Her

How are the customary funeral and mourning rituals of Judaism, Protestant Christianity, Roman Catholicism, and Islam similar and different? Judaism and Islam have similar funeral practices. Both Islam and Judaism appoint the responsibilities of the burial of the deceased within their communities. Both traditions require the dead be buried as promptly as possible. It is for the body to be buried on the same day of the death. Islam and Judaism forbid embalming and routine autopsies as desecration of the dead. However, both religions consider organ donation as permissible. Muslims are strictly forbidden from the process of cremation, while Jewish rules on cremation can vary depending on the denomination. Conservative Jews oppose cremation while the process has become an increasingly more popular and acceptable practice among Reform Jews.

Death and dying is a natural and unavoidable process that all living creatures will experience at some point in life, whether it is one’s own person death or the death of a close friend or family member. Along with the experience of death comes the process of grieving which is the dealing and coping with the loss of the loved one. Any living thing can grieve and relate to a loss, even children (Shortle, Young, & Williams, 1993). “Childhood grief and mourning of family and friends may have immediate and long-lasting consequences including depression, anxiety, social withdrawal, behavioral disturbances, and school underachievement” (Kaufman & Kaufman, 2006, p. 61). American children today grow up in cultures that attempt to avoid grief and

Grief is the act following the loss of a loved one. While grief and bereavement are normal occurrences, the grief process is a social construct of how someone should behave. The acceptable ways that people grieve change because of this construct. For a time it was not acceptable to grieve; today, however, it is seen as a necessary way to move on from death (Scheid, 2011).The grief process has been described as a multistage event, with each stage lasting for a suggested amount of time to be considered “normal” and reach resolution. The beginning stage of grief is the immediate shock, disbelief, and denial lasting from hours to weeks (Wambach, 1985). The middle stage is the acute mourning phase that can include somatic and emotional turmoil. This stage includes acknowledging the event and processing it on various levels, both mentally and physically. The final stage is a period of

When seeking to compare my own cultural grieving norms to another culture, traditional Japanese culture comes to mind. I have always been fascinated with Japanese culture and history, and it seems to be vastly different from my own, not only my African American culture, but also that of my individualistic, American culture in general. Japanese mourning rituals are much more communal and shared throughout the community, especially in the family, of the deceased. The main focus of the grieving process is on the spiritual journey of the dead through the afterlife, rather than the on the lives of the living (Tsuji, 2011). Japanese rituals are steeped in tradition that is pasted from one generation to the

Cultural effluence on grieving process has an interesting similarities and differences between western and eastern societies. The feeling of sadness naturally associates with several human reactions and behaviors, like crying, screaming, and feeling sad most the time. For example, in eastern culture when somebody dies, most of the family members and their friends have to wear black colored clothes. In addition, the close family member of the dead, especially wives, sisters, and mothers have to wear black clothes at least forty day period. In some cases the eastern women keep wearing black clothes for several years.

There is a traditional Muslim mourning period of 40 days, but this period is often shorter today, depending on how devout the family is. The community usually provides food for the family during the first three days of mourning. This period is marked by increased religious dedication, modesty and regular visitation to the family home. The offering of help and condolences is an important part of the Muslim grieving process. Additionally, widows are expected to observe a longer mourning period, generally of four months and 10 days. During this time, the widow cannot remarry, move away from her home, or wear decorative clothing or jewelry (“World Funeral Customs,” 2014). Moreover, the widow will generally stay at home during this entire period