Elements of culture: Customs and Traditions
Death ritual from all around the world might sound the same but of course they
have different story, ways, belief, and many more. The death ritual that follows
religions might be the same but most people mix it with their own cultures and
beliefs.
Death rituals:
 From Asia:
Toraja Death Ritual also known as Rambu Solo’.
Rambu Solo’ is a death ritual usually held in
Toraja, South Sulawesi. This ritual is when a
certain someone has passed away the family
member needs to held this event. During this
ritual the family will invite some people and they need to have
pig or buffalo to be killed and they believe that the certain
someone that have passed away will bring the buffalo and pigs
to heaven as what they called ‘Puya’. Rather than wasting the
pig and buffalo meat they will cook it and serve
it to the guests that have come. The food that is
usually serve is first we have welcome drink
which is tea or coffee but only that they
also serve cigarette and makpanagan or
called makan sirih. Makpangan or
makan sirih is a group of snacks that consist of palm fruit
mixed with calcium and sirih leaf also gambir. Then they
serve us a pig rawon or what they call tellok pamarasan. It
is almost the same as rawon but the different is the way of
cooking and the ingredients. Another food is called
papiong this food is cooked inside a bamboo stick. Pakrarang is the
Toraja steak and it uses the buffalo meat. For the burial they put it
in the stone mountain up until now.
 From Europe
Italy
Italian funerals are open for all people to attend,
some people even put up posters before it starts to invite people to
come. They put information like the date, place and other
important information. As soon as they hear the news they will
bring food to them. The food they bring can be anything from
bowls of fruit, desserts, wine and casseroles. They will have lots
of food and they usually share it with the guests or not freeze it for
the next day. Lots of Italian are Catholic so most of the funerals
are Catholicism. They will include the last rites, the vigil or prayer
ceremony, a funeral liturgy, and the proper Mass being performed.
Usually on the last day of the funeral the family will speak about
the deceased from their heart. Giving flowers to the deceased
family is an Italian funeral tradition. Mourners and attendants who
does Italian funeral traditions wear all black to the funeral but some
other people like immigrants do not wear black, but in the pass that
was traditional. In Italian and Catholic funerals there will be an
open casket. It is a common thing to kiss the cheek or forehead of
the deceased body in Italian culture. Children will also be
encouraged to touch the hand or kiss the cheek to show respect. In
the past people who joined the funeral they will walk to the burial
site and the casket would be carried either by a horse drawn
carriage or hearse. But today the funeral procession to the gravesite
is similar to modern customs.
 From Africa
An African funeral begins with the removal of the body from the
house. Previous to a person dying a hole is made beside the house.
When the time comes to remove the body it is taken out of the hole
instead of a door, feet first. This action is to keep the spirit from
finding an easy way to go back to their house. As the body is
transported to the burial, thorns and sticks are arranged in zig-zag
along the path. This is to make the spirit confuse so that they don’t
bother the living. It depends on religious belief; some people make
it easier for their loved to find their way back. They can even be
buried under their house or beside. In African funerals, it is
common to sacrifice animals as part of their death ritual. They
usually sacrifice an ox as they believe it will accompany the
deceased person to the land of ancestors. The oxen are chosen
because of something else, the beast can provide food for the
mourners. Some families might choose to sacrifice
an animal, months or even several years after a
person has died. An animal might be killed right
before the funeral as a ritual of bloodletting. It is
believed that blood needs to be shed to prevent
misfortune in the family. It is believe that a person
hasn’t died if someone among the living still
remembers them. Preparing a home after the death of
a loved one is an important funeral rite. The
windows will be smeared with ashes, pictures will be
turned to face the wall and reflective object like television or
mirrors will be covered. In the deceased person’s bedroom, the bed
is removed and the women of the family sit on the floor upon a
mattress or cushion. For the next week or two people in the
community visit these women to offer their respect and
condolences. But in Christian home, the day before a funeral the
dead person is brought back to their house and placed in their
bedroom. Then the family members will hold a vigil until the next
morning. The funeral is often conducted
before sunrise. They believe that witches and
sorcerers are asleep at this time and not likely
to take over the body of their beloved one.
Family members but not kids and unmarried
individuals are expected to attend the burial.
The family will stand on one side of the
gravesite and everyone else on the other side.
The family is not allowed to speak during the
burial. Like some other cultures personal items will also be buried
with the person to help them in their journey to their ancestors.
After the burial ceremony, mourners may return to the family’s
home. At the gate they are expected to wipe the graveyard dust
from their feet and some may place pieces of aloe plant in water to
remove bad luck. Christians may also sprinkle the mourners with
holy water to purify them. Some families follow a strict ritual. Men
may shave all of their hair from head and race. It symbolizes death
and new life. Family members may wear black clothing or black
cloths on their backs for weeks or even a year.
 From America and Canada
American death ritual have 4 major parts which is ‘The Wake,
Visitation or Viewing’, ‘The Funeral Service’, ‘The Burial Service’
and ‘Private Services’. In the USA and Canada many Viewing
Services take place in the funeral home. But some can also be
conducted in a church. In some areas of the US, Viewing Services
might be held in the home of the deceased or a relative’s. The
Viewing is often held the evening before the day of the funeral.
However it can also happen immediately before the funeral service
on the same day. After learning of the death, guests usually pay
their respects at the home of the family members and at the funeral
home during the wake. There is usually a guest book which is
signed by everyone who attends so that the family can send thank
you cards. Viewers who attend have a choice either to look at the
body in the casket or not. Family members can decide to have the
casket closed. The funeral service is usually held between 3 to 5
days of the following death. The service usually takes place in
either a church or funeral home. If the service is chose to be held at
church, the deceased body will be transported from the funeral
home to the church in a hearse, which is also part of the funeral
procession. During this service prayer, reading from the bibles or
other sacred texts, hymns and songs, and word of comfort are given.
When it’s almost the end of the funeral service, guests, family and
spouses are invited to view the deceased. The burial part is
considered the final part of many US and Canada traditions. It is
the final moment to say a farewell before laying the body to rest. If
the deceased served in the armed forces, military rites will often be
accorded at the burial site. According to most religions, the casket
remains closed during the burial ceremony. A final prayer
may be said then it is time to place into the burial area or
prepared for cremation. In many traditions a meal or
gathering follows the burial service. This gathering may be
held at a church or in the home of the deceased or other family
member.
Differences in food
Difference purpose
These death rituals have some
Death rituals around the world
differences and one of them is in have different purposes or
the foods. For example:
beliefs. For example like
 Toraja: Traditional food like
 Toraja: They believe that
Makan Sirih, pigs and buffalo
the animals that ware
meat, tea or coffee, palm fruit
scarified will be brought
mixed with calcium, sirih
by the deceased to the
leaf, gambir, tellok
Puya.
pamarasan, papiong and
Pakrarang. All of these are
 Italy: Italian death rituals
traditional food of Toraja.
believe in the steps of the
religion so they usually
 Italy: bowls of fruit, desserts,
follow the religion.
wine and casseroles.
 Africa: They believe that
 Africa: cook with ox meat
getting the body out of a
and make it into food for the
hole makes it hard for
guests.
them to find their home
and by arranging thorns
 America and Canada: they
and sticks in zig-zag will
usually serve food what they
confuse the spirit.
like so there are no rules for
food. But it can depending on
 America and Canada:
families beliefs.
They believe that by
praying the body will be
blessed.
Difference in traditions
As you know Death Rituals
around the world has
different traditions; For
example:
 Toraja: In Torajan
Death Rituals or as
they call Rambu
Solo’ There is a
tradition where they
need to sacrifice pigs
and buffalo.
 Italy: In Italian
Death rituals, people
are all invited in the
death ritual. People
came and bring
foods for the family.
 Africa: It is a
tradition to smear
the windows with
ashes, turn pictures
to face the wall and
close any reflective
things like
television, mirrors
and others.
 America and
Canada: It is a
tradition to prepare a
guest book and give
thank you cards for
guests who attends.
 My Culture:
My family has a kind of similar death ritual to the one above. It is
up to our beloved if they want to be cremated or buried. When our
beloved died, or in a critical situation that might cause them to pass
away, we as a family call a priest and ask for Sakramen
Perminyakan. This sacrament is making the way easier to heaven.
Afterwards we clean the body and move it to the funeral home. At
the funeral home the body will be bathed and the body will be
changed into clothes that the family picked out. The body will be
blessed once again. During the funeral home people will come and
visit, some might send flowers and most give money and we give
them thank you cards when we receive it. The body will be in the
casket which remains open but closed with glass and white strain
cloth. People can come and see the body and sometimes when they
come, they will come in front of a table with our beloved’s photo
and flowers or even cross and they will give a little prayer then
bow to us. We will be standing in both sides of the table to receive
guests. In my family we are almost all catholic so we always have
1 or 2 or even more mass to pray for our beloved and the family
who is still living. After the Viewing is done the casket will be
closed but before that we wrote letters and put in the side then we
sprinkle oil around the body. We can never forget to put their
precious stuff like their bags and of course their clothes and other
things that our beloved love to do. Then the family needs to bow
down and while the casket is going to be closed the family cannot
see. After the visiting we will directly go to the burial site and on
the way there will throw flowers and papers on the road. In the
Burial site we have a mass and it is the last time for us to say our
final goodbye. The casket will be placed inside the hole then one of
the family members will let go of a dove. Afterwards guests and
families will throw Chinese paper, flowers and dirt to the casket.
Then they cover it with dirt and put the tombstone and my family
uses the shape of a cross. Then we will celebrate the 3rd day, 7th day,
40 days, 100th day, 1 year, 3 years and during birthday and Qing
Ming. In my family, if the deceased has a long life then we will
wear red in the last day which is the burial day. But if they’re not
we are going to wear white or black. The one who decide if the
body is buried or cremated is our beloved but if they didn’t say
anything that means it is buried. My family also believe that our
tears cannot drop on the body. We believe that it could make our
beloved’s way to heaven heavy.
 Similarities:
Every death ritual up there celebrates with other people not only families.
Everyone who attends wear white or black
Every death ritual uses casket.
Every death ritual traditions can be mix with the religion
 How to respect:
 When you attend a death ritual don’t show your belief too much and
just follow their belief for the ritual only.
 Do not ask them to follow your belief let them show their own belief.
 Follow the rules/norms they have and try to be in your positive
side/attitude.
 Follow the ritual and give condolences. Maybe by helping or attending
or even pray, just things that we can do to help.
 Attend the death ritual.
 Participate more in the ritual.
 Try to make the family happy and not too sad.
 Support them in the ritual.
 Death rituals we attend might have different foods, we should try the
food and if we don’t like the food try to eat some and do not complain.
 When we want to respect other people’s beliefs of death ritual, we
should follow the death rituals and eat what they provide. If we don’t
eat the food or allergies we can ask to the family for other type of food.
If we don’t like try to finish it if we can’t it is fine but we need to try
our best.
 To respect people’s beliefs we can show our open-mindedness and
tolerance towards others.
 We can try to open our mind to fill new knowledge from others beliefs
and try to show our manners and respect during the ritual.
 All death rituals have different traditions. When we attend one which
has different traditions to ours just follow it and if we don’t understand
ask the family or bring a friends to help you.
Resources:
My dad
http://dying.lovetoknow.com/Death_Rituals_in_Africa
http://dying.lovetoknow.com/Italian_Funeral_Traditions
http://www.funerals-and-flowers.com/death-and-funeral-customs.html#US