Different cultures have different burial traditions, that may seem weird to the others but are also pretty normal for them. One of the most common examples is wearing black clothes at the funeral in almost every country, but also, there are a few world cultures that show their grief while wearing white or colorful clothes. At some point in our life, sadly, we will all be in grief, and when that moment comes, we are the only ones who know how we feel. Wearing black clothes doesn’t mean you are sad all the time, just like wearing other colors doesn’t mean that you don’t care. It’s simple, every person in this world has a specific way of coping with the pain, and no one needs to judge anyone about that. Just the opposite, we should be respectful of the way they are grieving, and let them do that until they heal.
Today, we can also order a funeral service online, and it’s good if it makes the whole process easier. We are never ready for someone’s death, and it’s very understandable that you don’t know how to choose a coffin or write a eulogy, but you can visit this site for that purpose, and read and learn everything you need to know. Sometimes, you may ask yourself if the person that died wanted something different for the burial ceremony. At the same time, those who don’t want a traditional funeral for them, probably already have a testament or some legal document that regulates their wish.
But why would someone do that? The reasons are too many, but even though it sounds pretty dark, people get inspired by different cultures and also may have some unique ideas for their dying. Here are some of the traditions around the world that may be bizarre, weird, but also inspirational for the people:
1. Colorful beads
It’s an old tradition in South Korea that people are still practicing today. After they cremate the dead, they may take a part of the ashes and put it in a colorful bead, and then display the remains at home. Sometimes they use more than one bottle, in different colors and shapes, and then put some ashes, and place the beads everywhere in the house or apartment, so they can keep the presence of the loved person that it’s not among us.
2. Some people want to be fish food
A few companies around the world offer a unique service of compressing the remains into a ball and then attach it to some reef in the sea or ocean. The fishes can eat from that, and eventually, some smaller sea creatures may come and live there, until the remains fully decompose in the water.
3. New clothes after a few years
The Malagasy people that live in Madagascar every seven years change the clothes of the dead relative. You may ask yourself how they do that. It’s simple. They are allowed to dig up the body from the grave (a process names exhumation), and then wrap the bones and remains in new sheets and clothes. As they do that, they remember the beautiful moments they had with the dead person, and drink a lot of wine, because probably the remains smell really bad.
4. Custom made coffins
In Ghana, but also in some other countries around the world, people are making custom coffins following the dead person’s life choices and preferences. So, if you are a singer and you die, you will probably be buried in a coffin that looks like a microphone or audio cassette. Also, if you work at the office, your burial custom will be based on that. It’s also a bizarre, but pretty interesting tradition to witness on.
5. All natural burials
Many say that the Buddhists, but also other people that live in Tibet prefer the “sky burial”, also known as an all-natural funeral. The family, or the friends, decide to leave the body in the woods or mountains, so the animals can eat it. Sometimes, they cut it into pieces, leaving them in different spots, so they can feed more animals. The remains that wouldn’t be eaten by these animals will decompose naturally. It’s considered as a charity for nature because people are using the resources while alive, so they can become a resource by themselves after they die.
6. Last good buy with a nice piece of jazz
In the past, in New Orleans, there was a tradition of the funeral procession, led by a jazz band. This music was very popular around the USA, and of course, the whole world, and many people thought it was appropriate for sad moments like that.
7. Making a totem from the dead person
In North America, there are people named Haida who also have weird burial culture. The family and the shaman decide to have a ceremony, and then the body is dried and crushed, so it creates a type of briquette. Then, they put it in a suitcase or some box, and place the totem in front of the house.
8. Funeral strippers
In Taiwan, the family always wants more and more people to attend the funeral, to the point they are ready to hire strippers, so they can attract them, even though some of the visitors may have never known the dead person.
9. The skull as a memorial
In the Republic of Kiribati, after a few months, they dig up the skull from the grave, then wash it off the dirt, polish the bones, and keep it in a visible place in their home.
There are a lot more examples of traditions that may seem weird for the people but are normal for some smaller cultures. But, never mind what we do, we won’t be able to bring back the person that died. What we will always have is the love in our hearts for them, and the memories that were valuable. And remember, you don’t need to look sad so others can be aware of your grief, you can choose any coping mechanism that works for you, and be happy that you were honored to know the person that died.
