Every culture has unique traditions and rituals for honoring those who pass away. Most people in the United States are familiar with funerals and memorial services, but there are many more amazing ways humans celebrate their loved ones. The following guide explores some of the most interesting funeral practices from around the globe.

How Different Cultures Honor Lost Loved Ones

Fantasy Coffins

Ghana burial traditions take on a bit of a whimsical tone. Here, life transcends death, and the dead are said to continue their work or activities they loved doing in life. Families commission manufacturers to create “fantasy coffins” to help their loved ones remember their path in the afterlife. These elaborate caskets come in all sorts of creative designs, such as airplanes, fish, sneakers, guitars, and peppers.

Filipino Traditions

Many different ethnic groups in the Philippines have one-of-a-kind funeral practices. In the Philippine mountain town of Sagada, for instance, the Igorot people hang coffins high up on the cliffsides. This is said to bring the deceased closer to their ancestral spirits. The Tinguian people dress their lost loved ones in their best clothes, sit them in a chair, and place a lit cigarette between their lips, where they may sit for several weeks. In Cavite, everyone chooses a tree, which will be hollowed out as their final resting place when they pass away.

Famadihana

The famous ritual “famadihana,” or “the turning of the bones,” comes from Madagascar. Every five to seven years, Malagasy families exhume their passed loved ones from ancestral crypts. They remove their burial garments, replace them with fresh wrappings, and begin the celebrations. Family members and guests drink, tell stories, and dance to live music with the deceased before burying them again until the next ceremony. These lively occasions are thought to help progress decomposition and propel spirits toward the afterlife.

Aboriginal Funerals

For Aboriginal peoples in the Northern Territory of Australia, the death of a loved one is followed by elaborate funeral rites. A smoking ceremony is held in the living space of the deceased, which mourners would then paint ochre. This is meant to drive away their spirit. Finally comes the death ceremony, where the body of the deceased is placed in their home to decompose. Mourners paint their bodies ochre and partake in food, song, and dance as a community.

There are many ways to respectfully honor the life of your loved one, and Johnson-Kennedy Funeral Home, Inc.  is dedicated to helping you prepare a beautiful ceremony that preserves your family’s traditions. Their compassionate staff will handle every aspect of funeral planning, from the paperwork to assisting with cremation or burial arrangements. Serving Rochester, NY, and surrounding areas, this funeral home offers a welcoming atmosphere for your family and friends to grieve and heal in peace. Learn more about their funeral services online. To begin making funeral arrangements, call (585) 394-4280.