The mourning period is often short as loved ones seek comfort in knowing that their child is in heaven. In Argentina , deceased loved ones are buried right away with funerals often costing more than a wedding. Holy mass is held on the anniversary of their passing for friends and family to attend.
In Peru , there is often a viewing, a graveside service, or cremation service. In some instances, guests will chew cocoa leaves which is thought to allow them to be with their deceased loved one. Some believe that their loved one is in a deep sleep after they pass away, while others believe they are in another world.
Europe In Europe funerals range from incorporating religious practices to none at all. In Germany, the culture around death tends to be matter of fact, and that dying is expected and inevitable. German people believe in giving everyone a respectful burial or cremation, and there are laws in the place that ensure that this happens.
The law also requires that cremated remains are buried. In Italy , funerals are a community event with strong support from loved ones and neighbors. Because many Italians practice Catholicism, religious overtones can be observed at funerals. Caskets are typically stacked in mausoleums instead of in the ground. In Albania , secular funerals are the norm and are typically held in the home or a communal gathering site. Traditional folk music is often played during the funeral.
Cremation is not practiced and individuals are buried in a casket. In Ireland , death rituals can go on for days before an individual is buried. Prior to be taken to the funeral home, friends, neighbors, and family gather to share stories, sing, and pray. Asia In many Asian cultures, those in mourning wear white to represent the passing of an individual, while in other cultures black or dark-colored clothing is worn to a funeral or memorial.
Japanese death rituals often combine both Buddhist and Shinto traditions. Common practices include washing the deceased individual's body, preparing their favorite foods as offerings, cleansing the burial ground, holding a wake, and cleansing the burial or cremation site. Chinese death rituals focus on honoring their elders and funeral rites will depend on the age of the deceased individual, as well as their social standing.
It is believed that if burial is done incorrectly, bad luck will fall upon the family. In India, death rituals are often influenced by Hinduism and focus on helping the deceased individual become reincarnated and eventually reach Nirvana.
In Indonesia, many people believe in the afterlife, and funerals range from simple to elaborate, with some cultures holding more than one funeral for a deceased loved one. Burial tends to be more popular than cremation. In Pakistan, Islam is the most popular religion and heavily influences funeral traditions.
Burial often happens very quickly after the passing and wakes or visitation are not the norm. After washing the body, shrouds are often wrapped around the deceased individual's body, although some families now opt to select their own outfit for the deceased prior to burial. Australia and New Zealand In Australia, traditional funeral services, green funerals, and more unique, customized services are popular choices when a loved one passes away.
In the Oro Province in Papua, New Guinea , a spouse may mourn the loss of their partner for many months without being seen or connecting with anyone in the community.
After the mourning period ends, there is a large feast and gathering where the widowed partner gets rid of their mourning clothing. In New Zealand, deceased individuals are buried or cremated. Ashes may be kept or scattered depending on the family's needs. Similar to Australia, there is an emphasis on creating a unique and individualized ceremony or service. Africa In Africa, the death and dying rituals center on becoming ancestors and the way one passes away, as well as the funeral rituals can help that transition.
African death rituals include: Prior to burial, the home is prepared by covering the mirrors, removing the deceased individual's bed, and holding a vigil. Removing the body feet first from the home and taking a confusing path towards the burial site so the deceased can remain an ancestor and not wander back home. A proper burial that if not done correctly can lead to the deceased individual haunting the family, as well as others in the community.
If the individual is not buried properly or did not live an honorable life, they can wreak havoc as a ghost to the family, as well as the community. Depending on the certain community or tribe, burials may happen right away or be delayed. Antarctica While no people live in Antarctica year round, there are research stations that house up to 5, people. If someone passes away in Antarctica: Their body may be left buried if a crash or accident is deemed too dangerous to excavate due to inclement weather conditions.
Their body may be sent back to their home if the family wishes to conduct an end-of-life service, funeral, or memorial in their homeland. Memorials may be organized in the research stations if desired. Unique Death and Dying Practices Note that while some may regard certain practices and beliefs around death and dying to be unique, in the culture of origin, these practices may be considered the norm.
Some death and dying practices that you may not have heard of include: Drive through funerals: These funerals most often occur in Japan and the United States.
Sky burials: A sky burial means that the deceased individual's body is prepared and offered to vultures who are believed to help transition the soul to heaven and eventually into reincarnation. For this reason, in , the Vatican banned the scattering of cremated remains or keeping them in a non-sacred space. There has been a significant decline in church funerals in the UK, with the majority of religious funerals held entirely at a crematorium.
Roman Catholic and Orthodox funerals tend to focus strongly on a ritual and liturgical formula and may not include a eulogy, or much focus on the life or character of the deceased this is generally left to memorials or gatherings following the funeral.
This is because the main purpose of the funeral is often seen as intercession on behalf of the person that has died in order to ease their passage into heaven. All Christian churches teach that after death a person is subject to judgement although far less emphasis has been placed on hell in recent decades.
The Roman Catholic Church still teaches that the dead may undergo a period of purification in Purgatory and that this can be shortened by the prayers of the living.
Some evangelical churches have traditionally used funerals as an opportunity for preaching about their beliefs regarding what happens after death for the benefit of those in attendance who are not believers. Islam teaches that the body resides in the coffin until the day of Judgement. This is a period of trial where angels will question the person about their beliefs and practices.
The coffin will seem like a paradise for the righteous whereas for the unrighteous it will be torture. On the Day of Judgement a horn will be blown and the dead will be resurrected to face final judgement. Where possible, a dying person will repeat the Shahada or declaration of faith as their last utterance. Since Muslims believe in physical resurrection, cremation is not encouraged. Burial should take place as quickly as possible after death and preferably within 24 hours.
Where the cause of death is uncertain this may, and should be determined prior to burial. The person who has died is washed as quickly as possible after death and wrapped in a simple white shroud. For men, up to three pieces of cloth may be used for this purpose, for women, five. In many countries, a coffin is not used, but in the UK, where this is often forbidden, a coffin is permitted. The body is positioned facing towards Mecca.
The grave may be raised so that people do not walk on it by mistake but ostentatious displays of wealth or status for example, through elaborate gravestones are discouraged.
In some Islamic countries, women are discouraged from attending funerals as their mourning may be excessive. In different Hindu traditions, moksha may be interpreted either as becoming one with the ultimate Brahman ; or as being with a personal God.
Funeral rituals are based on the Vedas , an ancient set of scriptures, the oldest layers of which the Samhitas deal with the correct performance of ritual.
Most Hindus are cremated. In Vedic ritual, fire often seen as the fire god, Agni is the means by which things are moved from the realm of mortals to the realm of the gods and this is true of the human body as well. The exceptions to this rule are very young children and Sanyasi renunciants who are not thought to require purification in fire. Some Hindus believe that to die in Varanasi, or to be cremated there, ensures instant access to moksha.
In the UK, most Hindus use the local crematorium. Tradition dictates, however, that the oldest son of the deceased should be the last person to touch the coffin and so Hindus may ask to be allowed to charge the cremator. A small but increasing number of crematoria in the UK are accommodating this by having an area around the front of the cremator designed for public access. Some Hindus and Sikhs are lobbying for open-air cremation on funeral pyres to be fully legalised in the UK. The legal status of open-air cremation in the UK is ambiguous and problematic.
Ideally, cremated remains should be placed in the Ganges river in India, although as all rivers are ultimately connected, any river or sea is acceptable. Judaism has no clear and unambiguous teaching about life after death. Where a post-mortem existence is mentioned, it is a shadowy half-life in the underworld. Belief in physical resurrection and judgement followed by Paradise or Gehenna , a place of punishment, begins to enter the scriptural record in around the 4 th century BCE.
The resurrection of the body is believed to be part of what will happen with the coming of the Messiah although the specifics are vague and contested.
Because of the belief in resurrection, religious Jews tend to be buried rather than cremated, although Liberal and Reform Judaism permit cremation. The deceased is never left alone between the time of death and the burial. Most synagogues or communities have a burial committee, or Chevra Kadisha, whose members undertake to wash and shroud the dead and to sit with them until burial takes place.
Women will take care of women who have died and men will attend to men. Burial takes place as quickly as possible following a death, although delay is permitted if an investigation is required. Liberal and Reform Jews may be less strict about this. Some Jewish men and women for some traditions may be buried wearing their tallit or prayer shawl.
The knots surrounding this represent the various scriptural laws and the knots at the corners may be undone prior to burial to show that the person is no longer bound by the law. During these 49 days, the family cannot participate in any form of celebration or entertainment. Many Vajrayana Buddhists in Mongolia and Tibet believe in the transmigration of spirits after death — that the soul moves on, while the body becomes an empty vessel. To return it to the earth, the body is chopped into pieces and placed on a mountaintop, which exposes it to the elements — including vultures.
I would certainly choose sky burial after my death, though I am not a Buddhist believer," said Zhaxi Toinzhub, a young Tibetan in his 20s. In , the island saw one of its most lavish cremations ever as Agung Suyasa, head of the royal family, was burned along with 68 commoners.
In the Balinese tradition, cremation releases the soul so it is free to inhabit a new body — and doing this is considered a sacred duty. In general, when someone passes, there is a 3 to 9 day wake at their home. During that time, they are placed in a casket and the room is decorated to how you might expect to see it at a North American funeral. The casket remains closed, though, and there is a picture of person placed on top.
Candles are then lit, which must stay lit for 40 days. This comes from Roman Catholic religious beliefs, and corresponds to the in the ascension and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The 40th day is said to be the last day the spirit of the deceased wanders on earth. There is a nightly prayer said around p. The prayer ends after this time. All the while this is happening inside, there are chairs set up outside the home for friends and family together and mourn and share stories at any time of the day or night.
While our death ceremonies and grief rituals have changed —— our grief itself has not. Humans have always looked for ways to keep those they love close to them and honor their lives. Through memento moris and hair as jewelry, to memorial diamonds and memorial beads as popular in South Korea , we all must face the reality of the death of those we love and ourselves.
Death rituals are incredibly helpful for giving us a feeling of increased sense of control over a situation in which we have none at all. And for many, that feeling helps us give meaning to some of the most difficult, but most natural, events in our lives. Whether you follow any traditional death ritual, or a personal ritual, is up to you. In the U. Sign up to receive our latest blog posts, grief wellness resources, and featured articles.
Remarkable Lives. Grief Wellness. Death rituals are well documented throughout history —— and around the world. These mourning rituals and ceremonies are meant to bring people together, to take the hands of those mourning the loss and lead them astray from isolation.
In the Western world, however, this is so often no longer the case. In the United States, there is a long history of what is often called the privatization of grief. As a result, dying was an open and ongoing conversation. As death approached, there was no ambiguity as to what the person wanted or what was expected of the family. However, there were two distinct periods of mourning known to the Victorian era: First mourning or full mourning.
Second mourning or half mourning. The Rise of Science: Families Exchange Priests for Doctors Despite a heavy focus on dress and customs for those going through the grieving process, the Victorian era also saw lives saved. Over the decade, more and more families called in doctors and science in place of priests and religion in search of a fix. An open casket is where the deceased body is visible to family and guests; a closed casket means that the deceased body cannot be seen by family or guests.
Often if the death resulted from severe trauma, a closed casket is the preferred method. In certain religions, such as Judaism, deceased are never displayed in an open casket, nor is embalming allowed. This can take place at the funeral home or in a church. The Catholic faith usually has a funeral mass that takes place at a church officiated by the priest. The casket is often closed at church funerals.
Sometimes, family or friends of the deceased will speak or give a eulogy about their loved one during the funeral or memorial service. Internment follows the funeral service and a procession of guests usually follow the hearse carrying the casket or remains of the deceased to the cemetery.
The burial or internment of the deceased can take place right after the funeral or memorial service or at some later date. The clergy will often accompany the deceased and family to the cemetery and provide a small service at the grave. Many times the grave or mausoleum will be blessed as the deceased is interred.
If the deceased was a member of the military, a special military service may be conducted at that time. In the U. Now that we have discussed the basics that comprise the traditional funeral in the United States, we will focus on some more specific practices and traditions from various cultures and religions.
Table End of Life Nursing Education Consortium ELNEC — core curriculum training program. Health Care Chaplaincy National Funeral Directors Association General f uneral s ervice f acts. Privacy Policy. Skip to main content. Search for:. Diversity in Dying: Death across Cultures Whether it is seen in personal terms or trans-personal terms, whether it is Heaven or Nirvana or Happy Hunting Ground or the Garden of Paradise, the weight and authority of tradition maintains that death is just an alteration in our state of consciousness, and that the quality of our continued existence in the afterlife depends on the quality of our living here and now.
Learning Objectives Identify the role of the nurse in providing culturally competent care to patients nearing the end of life. Examine the basic components of funeral traditions in the United States.
Describe beliefs and traditions associated with death and dying among various religions and cultures. What You Should Know Visiting hours, the funeral, and the burial are the main components in most traditional U. Different cultures have varying traditions pertaining to death and when caring for patients belonging to a particular faith or culture, the nurse should become familiar with the traditions the patient and family would like to observe. Beliefs include that the deceased travels from this world into eternal afterlife where the soul can reside in heaven, hell, or purgatory.
Sacraments are given to the dying. Cremation historically forbidden until
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