Reflection Of A Funeral Of My Friend 's Aunt

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.

Funerals are an event that everyone has to experience at least once in their lives. For the most part here in the United States funerals are mainly carried out in a similar fashion no matter the religion. But what about funerals in other countries? Do they have the same customs we as Americans do? This paper will take a closer look into the funeral customs of other countries around the world.

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

Ashanti people believe that dead person will eventually become a spirit and in return take care of them. Visitor gather as the body is prepared to offer their condolences to the family while close family member stay with body expressing their solidarity. Man’s social group

When a member of a community dies, it is the community's responsibility to lovingly assist the deceased's family in this final act.

African culture demonstrates a strong connection with deceased person, and believes that only a correct burial will bring a dead person peace. People in Africa strongly believe in spiritual life, thus their main goal during burial ceremonies is to address a spirit of a deceased person. An African funeral begins with removal of the body from home, which is done through a previously made hole in the wall of the home. Africans remove a dead body through the hole, instead of a door, to confuse a spirit and make sure that a spirit of a deceased person will not return back home, as a hole in the wall is immediately closed after removal of the body. In effort to confuse a spirit even more, they place thorns and sticks in a zigzag pattern along the way as body being taken to the place of burial.

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

Weeks later, sorrow spread throughout all branches of the family. Grandmama passed on and the family gathered once again for the funeral. Several relatives flew in from Mexico and those from northern California returned. The funeral was filled with tears, but there was also joy at seeing relatives whom my mother, aunts, and grandmothers had not seen in many years. Although the reason for assembly was heartbreaking, my family, young and old, came together to celebrate the life of

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

Criticisms of American funeral practices have been made publicly aware since the 1920’s, and actually go back to ancient times in the scope of human’s ceremonies for the dead. Since the first published argument against modern funerals various authors joined the movement publishing their disparagements of customs for the deceased; that in essence contend the grandiosity and lavish displays are merely a social and psychological representation of the monetary opportunity of funerals (DeSpelder & Strickland, 2015, p. 306-307). Even further, regarding the encompassing funeral industry as exploiting grieving loved ones for their financial gains, while disregarding the actual needs of modern society (DeSpelder & Strickland, 2015, p. 307).

When a loved one dies, it can be hard to focus on practical matters, such as funeral planning. Arranging a funeral can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be a difficult process. With the right funeral home and some simple things to keep in mind when making the arrangements, the process can be healing. Adzima Funeral Home, based in Stratford, CT, has handled funeral services for the community for over 100 years. Their compassionate and professional staff has come up with a list of some things to consider when arranging a funeral:

Jewish Funeral Traditions At a Jewish funeral a candle is placed by the deceased and they are never left alone. The reason the body is not left alone is because the soul stays near the body after its separation and is aware of the love and respect for its body. Shomrim, those who stay with the deceased, are assigned to stay and say prayers over the body on a 24-hour basis so that the holy prayers comfort the soul.

We then walked outside and stood by the hearse and watched them carry him out, with the sons and family carrying, they loaded him into the hearse. We then proceeded and walked to our car in the motorcade, it took nearly 10 minutes to reach the cemetery. Everyone then lined up on the road and stopped by a blue tent, under it laid chairs and a place to roll the casket

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,

People here in the United States, tend to discuss the topic of death and burial as little as possible and is something people always put in the back of their mind. They do not think about it or discuss it until the proper moment has come. Someone dies, and we bury them. We do not go to great lengths to almost "drag-out" the experience of death, as other cultures do. There is an American tradition that people visit the person 's grave or other sanctified spaces on occasion, but that 's the extent of our interaction with the dead in American culture. This is also a topic that as Americans, are not discussed. In other places, in other cultures, and in other lives based on how one is raised, people are not always so squeamish about death and have a continuing relationship with the deceased bodies of their family members, friends, and neighbors.