Jewish Funeral Traditions Essay

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.

Funeral customs in Japan vary widely from region to region, but the majority of them are held as Buddhist funerals. At the time of death the body will be washed, and the orifices stuffed with cotton or gauze. Following the cleaning, the body is dressed in a suit or kimono depending on the gender of the deceased. Makeup is applied, and then the body is taken to where the service will be held. Once all of the arrangements have been made the body is put on dry ice in the casket. After family and close friends have attended the wake, the funeral service is held. Following the service the body and the family are transported to the crematorium where they wait for their loved one to be cremated so they may retrieve their bones and ashes. Due to the high population and small land area in Japan they are all cremated and share a family gravesite. Once the ashes have been collected they are taken to the family gravesite where the family says their last goodbyes and the urn is placed into the hollow space inside the gravestone. The family will hold services on certain days and years over time following the death of their loved one. (Billy Hammond

The two cultures that I decided to compare and contrast is the Mexican culture and ancient Egyptians. Mexicans have embraced death as a part of life. The Mayan and Aztecs practiced human sacrifices which gave and example of acceptance of death. In Mexico when a loved one passed on to a better life the viewing traditional takes place at the family’s home. A catholic priest comes to the family’s home and leads a mass in honor of the recently departed. The coffin in placed on a table along with candles on the side. After the funeral the family members get together and pray for nine days to guide the deceased into haven and ask forgiveness for their sins.On the other hand Egyptians were buried in pyramids directly in the ground. Often bodies were

These events are taken to extreme measure, making sure every step is taken with care. Theorist Terence Lovat’s theory of the five step approach can be delivered in a Islamic death ritual through the series of events in the lead up and post of the funeral. The preparation of the funeral happens before the death of the person. When the Muslim is dying, someone must firmly but gently prompt the person dying to say the holy declaration prayer, this is called the Shahaada. People can then offer their condolences to the relatives and friends of the deceased, this in Islam is an important act of kindness. The next important factor is the physical cleansing of the body. The bathing of the corpse is an important part of ‘Sunnah the Prophet’, this is a part of the Islamic Shari’ah. The method, the style and the accessories that are used may vary from time to time and from place to place. After the body has been cleansed, the corpse is then wrapped in a plain simple cloth, this cloth is called ‘Kafan’ and the process called ‘Takfeen’. The main factor while wrapping the body is to respectfully cover the private part, so they aren’t visible to others. Islam traditions state that the cloth must be a material must be a gaudy style as well as the cloth not being too flashy, it is for this reason that most muslims pick a white cotton cloth. Perfume is often used on the cloth (Amjad,

The temples, pyramids, tombs, and religious artifacts left behind all tell us that the Ancient Egyptians believed in the resurrection of the dead. Their belief in immortality was the fundamental driving force behind their religion. “The formulae which were declared to have been recited during the performance of ceremonies were written down and copied for scores of generations, and every pious, well-to-do Egyptian made arrangements that what had been done and said on behalf of Osiris should be done and said for him outside and inside his tomb after his death.” (Liturgy of Funeral Offerings, pg.2) This illustrates just how important the ceremony and the process was to the Egyptians. Their belief in the afterlife and the importance of the ceremonial steps taken to get them there caused them great concern with their own funerals. Today, everyone has an idea of what they would like to do for their own funeral as well. We may follow in the same patterns as our family heritage has done for generations with either a traditional funeral or cremation, or we may have a newer alternative in mind for our self. Even though we may not be preparing for an afterlife, we still have an

Once death is pronounced, many Modern Americans begin preparing for the funeral. A blog on decorativeurns.com states that the actual funeral can take place between three to seven days after death (“When to Schedule”). Jewish traditions differ from Modern Americans at this point. Maurice

‘Regardless of their social position, the characters in Burial Rites feel powerless.’ Do you agree?

Some cultures are traditional and want to bury love ones in a traditional way. However, younger generations are more creative in the way they bury loved ones. For example, sea lovers may have their ashes put into an eternal reef and put into the sea. A positive spin is being put on funerals and now being called “celebrations of life”. The death rate is low right now but as baby boomers get older the death rate will rise, and the funeral service industry will see a big boost.

If someone died from natural causes, their death ceremony depended on their social standing and how they died. If they died of old age, people would prepare the corpse by wrapping the body in paper, then cremating it along with a dog so they would have a companion to travel the underworld with. If you died a hero death or by sacrifice, the hero was buried in the ground with objects resembling images of the mountain gods. The Aztecs wrapped their bodies in cloth decorated with birds and butterflies to show the greatness of their

Death is a subject we tend to shy away from, but why? It’s a natural occurrence that happens all the time, and it’s something we cannot avoid. At least once in our lives we will attend a funeral, but how many times will we visit the diseased once they are gone? A cemetery is a burial ground where those who have passed away lay to rest for the rest of eternity, and it gives their loved ones a place to go and visit them.

The family decorates the door of their home indicating that a death has occurred, and they also put a table outside, in front of the house, with pictures of the deceased on it. They also post notices all over town telling that a death has occurred, and about the life of the deceased. These things are the families way of letting the village knows that someone has died. After everyone has visited the deceased they all go to the church where a service is held, including a full mass. After the service the pall bearers carry the casket from the church to the cemetery, and everyone follows. As the procession passes by the people in the village

Now if the dead are buried far away from their homes, graves are decorated with the idea that the dead return their first and then to their how with livens. Mexicans visit graveyards, decorate the graves in their best forms and spend time there, in the presence of their departed friends, family members and lovesome. In some villages, they lay flower petals as paths, candles and offerings along the path leading from the cemetery to their homes. The spirits will be able to find their way. In some communities, it is expected to spend the whole night in the cemetery, and people throw a party of it, having a picnic supper, playing music, talking and drinking through the night. Gatherings are often held during the yearly event, it can involve the

This paper explores the many ways cultures deal with death, both before and after. Most cultures have different practices when it comes to rituals before and after death, but some rituals and beliefs are surprisingly similar. When it comes to health care, nurses need to be aware of any cultural needs of a client in this emotional time. Asking questions about what the patient and family want to happen is very important. For example, Muslims would like the same sex washing their loved one, and they would like the family to do it themselves. The nurse needs to know this to provide culturally competent care.

A Jewish burial service is recognized by its straightforwardness, modesty, and seriousness. Its general arrangement has not changed for more than four thousand years. It is typically held inside of 24 hours of passing, however no later than three days. The mitzva of going with the dead to the last resting spot is so extraordinary it supersedes all other mitzvot, including Torah study. Be that as it may, before the memorial service can happen, the body of the perished must be arranged for internment as per Jewish convention. A Jewish memorial service is recognized by its straightforwardness, quietude, and seriousness. Its general arrangement has not changed for more than four thousand years. It is typically held inside of 24 hours of passing,

Deciding On A Service Style: The style and type of service can depend on your family’s personal preferences, your religious beliefs, or your cultural background. Some religions require family members to be present during the cremation; others forbid it.  You may want either a traditional funeral before the cremation, a