Every culture has its own unique customs for bidding farewell to the deceased…
Funeral rites are an indispensable tradition across all cultures and nations around the world. While they share a common purpose of honoring and resting the deceased, each place has its own way of expressing these sentiments.
Let’s explore some locations around the world where we might encounter unusual funeral customs.
1. A Funeral as a… Festival
Perhaps the most accurate words to describe the funeral customs of the Toraja people in South Indonesia are “a festival.” This is because their funerals blend the pain of losing a loved one with the joy of a true celebration.
The Toraja’s funeral rites last for several weeks, typically around 11 days. During this time, the deceased’s family hosts lavish feasts, inviting large numbers of locals and tourists to participate. They believe that the more extravagant the funeral, the better it is for the deceased.
Funerals here are grand and festive
For the Toraja, a person is not truly dead until the first buffalo is sacrificed at the funeral. This marks the moment the deceased begins their journey to the land of spirits.
Throughout the funeral, there are parties, buffalo fights, cheers, and encouragement, after which the meat is shared with all participants. Only when the final day of the ceremony concludes is the body buried.
2. Unique Coffins for the Deceased
If you witness a funeral in Teshie, Ghana, you will surely be amazed by what you see. Here, coffins are designed in a variety of strange shapes, sizes, and colors, each one unique.
A coffin shaped like a fish
Ghanaians refer to these as “fantasy coffins.” For them, while the deceased may have passed, life continues on. In the afterlife, the departed still engage in work as they did in life and have a significant impact on their living relatives.
To assist the deceased in continuing a comfortable and fulfilling life, Ghanaians often create these “fantasy coffins” that mimic tools or objects familiar to the deceased in their previous work. For example, if the deceased was a pilot, they would have a coffin shaped like an airplane, or if they were a rock star, the coffin would take the form of a guitar…
A coffin designed specifically for a photographer…
3. Funerals with Exotic Dancers
Funerals have always been regarded as solemn occasions, filled with a sacred atmosphere, and rarely do people expect the presence of dancers. However, some regions in Taiwan are different. Here, funerals even feature exotic dancers.
In these areas, it is believed that the prestige and honor of the deceased are reflected in the number of attendees at the funeral. The deceased would be pleased if the funeral was lively and well-attended. Therefore, many invite exotic dancers to perform at their loved one’s funeral to attract more attention.
4. Posing with the Deceased
This is one of the most bizarre funeral customs ever recorded in history and was particularly prominent during the Victorian era (1837-1901).
A portrait of the deceased taken after they passed away
For the middle class, photographing the deceased was a way to remember and preserve memories. They would often pose the deceased sitting upright in a chair, or in a sleeping position, and then take commemorative portraits, or take pictures with the deceased.
A young child who passed away posed on a bed with flowers around
Image of a large family who lost two newborn babies
