I am an artist who loves to research cultural anthropology. I've been writing about how different cultures handle grief for over two years. Show
Death can be a celebration of life, or a means to help the soul pass—how do different cultures deal with death? Photo by Mathias P.R. Reding on Unsplash; Image created with Canva In America, the melting pot of culture, there isn’t one specific way to view death. America is a country of immigrants who come from all over the world. Every time I see a funeral procession I am curious about what culture the family belongs to and what their particular ways of celebrating or mourning death include. When studying how different cultures handle dying and the deceased, it's best not to judge. Each culture has its own view of death. There's no one way to allow a spirit to pass into the immortal unknown. How African Cultures Handle DeathIn Africa, death is a celebration of life that continues long after the person has passed. Just like in the United States, Africa is a diverse place with many different traditions. Some African Cultures and Traditions
How Japanese Culture Views DeathIn Japan, children are taught from birth about death. It is considered taboo in many countries to explain death to a child until necessity brings it forth. Japanese children learn at a very young age that death is imminent. They are taught to respect their elders as they move through the “cycles.” There are phases an individual must go through before they can be considered “reborn.” One’s 60th birthday is a very auspicious time. This is when two zodiacs of the person's birth year align, known as kanreki. There are several other changes in spiritual status that follow. These phases upon the path to rebirth are measured in 10-year increments (Tsuji 29). It is the family's responsibility to make sure that the elder is celebrated at each particular phase so that they may earn a status of rebirth. Obtaining the status of rebirth qualifies them for reincarnation. In Japan, death is a very involved process. Respect is very important as well. People who know the deceased must offer their condolences every year on the anniversary of the loved one's death. They continue these rituals periodically until everyone who has ever known that person has also passed. Often, after the person has passed they are cremated but at a very low temperature so that the bones may be preserved. They are then placed in an ornamental grave that was purchased for them by their parents when they were born. Family members visit the gravesites for the first 15 days after the person passes (Tsuji 30). Afterward, they slowly continue to drop visit days until they are just visiting on the anniversary of the deceased person's death. Kotsuage bone-picking ceremony (Japanese Buddhist culture). wikipedia How Indian Culture Handles DeathIn India, there is a process that must happen prior to the funeral procession. For most families in India, there is no need for a funeral home or undertaker. The burial of the family member is placed solely in the hands of the family. When the person dies they are placed on the floor of their home, sprinkled with holy water, and a sprig of basil is placed in their mouth. Women handle the bodies of women and men handle the bodies of men. They prepare for the ceremony by washing the body, wrapping it in a white cloth (silk, if it is available), and adorning it with the finest jewels (Laungani 192). The body is then carried by loved ones to the pyre in which the body will be burned. As they carry the body, family members chant holy songs the entire way. Afterward, the body is cremated. Cremation is the only way a spirit can be freed. Since India has a caste system in place, the social status of the deceased is very important. Social class depends on how and where the body will be burned. Most high caste families do not complete their own family rituals but hire low caste assistants to take care of the “dirty work” required prior to the ceremony. The ceremonies move fast as the body should be cremated within 24 hours of death. Scroll to Continue Read More From OwlcationThere are three reasons for the speed of the ceremony: hygiene, purification, and spirituality (Laungani 195). In India, most of the dead are not embalmed like they are in the United States, so bodies that sit start to stink quickly. Washing, purifying, and blessing the body must occur quickly. Many Indians believe that the spirit leaves the body shortly after death and must be blessed on its journey to the afterlife. They also believe that a quick cremation allows the spirit to, essentially, move to the front of the line in the great circle of reincarnation. Since most of India's population is not wealthy, cremating your loved ones can turn into an all-day process because the ghats (funeral pyres) that are affordable may all be in use. High caste members have personal ghats or can pay to use ones at temples. Once the ghat is available, sandalwood (which is required for the proper passage of the soul) is purchased for use in the cremation. It can be very expensive (Laungani 197). At the end of the crematory service, the family returns home and has to wait 10 days to receive their ashes for the ghat services. In most cases, the ashes are part of several different people because they do not clean the ghats between each service. All in all, how people handle death and dying is as diverse as the cultures we have. Even with the adoption of modern-day religions, ancient rites are still practiced. Each person has their own perception and actuation of death. Cremation is the most popular form of releasing the spirit. From India's concept of cremating (then mixing with the souls of others) to Japan's slow cooking and bone collecting, there are many different forms of cremation. I make no judgments about their processes and accept their spiritual reasons. There's no one way to handle death, and the more we learn from other cultures, the better we'll be handling death in our own lives. Cremations at Manikarnika Ghat (Hindu culture). wikipedia References
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional. © 2018 Lain Golden East wind on May 13, 2020: Nice Article south wind on August 15, 2019: i agree North Wind from The World (for now) on July 20, 2018: Very interesting article. There are indeed many ways people bury their dead. One thing is certain - whether young or old, rich or poor, death happens to all. I think that death, regardless of age, is a terrible, tragic thing and that it a true cause of deep sorrow. How do cultures react to death?In each culture, death is associated with rituals and customs to help people with the grieving process. Rituals offer people ways to process and express their grief. They also provide ways for the community to support the bereaved. A person who is bereaved is in a period of grief and mourning after a loss.
How is death viewed in Western culture?In modern Western societies, death is often ignored or feared. Changes in lifestyles and improved medical science have depersonalized death and made it an encroachment on life instead of part of life. This has left many people illequipped to deal with death when it touches their lives.
How is death viewed in the American culture?In the United States, however, death is seen as morbid and taboo.” In the United States, however, death is seen as morbid and taboo. Most families are not intimately involved in the dying process, as loved ones die in hospitals and bodies are prepared by second-hand parties.
How is death viewed?Sadness, anger, happiness, fear, surprise, hope, contentment, and peacefulness are a few examples of adjectives used to describe how we view death based on the circumstances of the death. The subject of death is taboo in our society.
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