Rituals from other cultures around death

How we deal with deal with death and grief is so wide and varied across different cultures across the world. Every culture views death differently.

But regardless of the approach, the way in which we mourn is constantly changing as we become more and more multicultural.  People are choosing to grieve in different ways sometimes acknowledging or including traditions from different cultures.

For many cultures, rituals are a very important part of the grieving processRituals are a “serious of actions carried out for a specific purpose”.Whether rituals come from family, culture, religion or spiritual tradition they give us meaning, familiarity and comfort.  They  connect us to others, in a world that can feel upside down when someone we love dies.  Some people don’t even realise that that they are engaging in ritualistic behaviours, for example thousands of people left floral tributes for Diana outside Kensington palace after her death.Below are some of the beautiful rituals from other cultures.  At the heart of them all is community.

Perhaps we can draw on some of these ancient traditions to help keep us connected,  keep our loved ones close and to honour and respect their memory.

Aboriginal Culture

We don’t have to look too far to lean into some beautiful and rich rituals surrounding death.The Aboriginal culture have many and important rituals around funerals and mourning.

To this day, these rituals are still a very important part of their culture.After the death of a member of their community, family, friends and strangers all come together to support and grieve together.

The putting up "flags" is another important act of symbolism in their culture.  This ritual is used to notify to the community that this is the house of someone who has died.Often in the Aboriginal culture there is more than one funeral ceremony including a smoking ceremony, which is a beautiful ritual conducted to drive away the deceased’s spirit.

Then a feast is prepared where mourners paint ochre as they share food and dancing.

Funerals in Mexico

Death is a big part of Mexican culture.Every year on the 2nd November, Mexican’s come together to celebrate “the day of the dead”.

The Day of the Dead is when all Mexicans come together to remember, honour, and celebrate those that have passed.Mexicans view this day, not one of sadness but one of celebration.More and more, death has become hidden from our society.

 Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could incorporate some of this celebrating as we remember our loved ones on occasions outside of their birthday or anniversary.

Wakes in Ireland

The traditional Wake has been a part of the Irish culture for generations. It came about because it was important to be sure that the deceased person did not wake up, and that no one got buried alive accidentally. This custom of waiting for the person to “wake” soon became a time to celebrate and mourn together. This was an opportunity for friends and family to come together, to eat, drink and remember the deceased’s life.

I can’t imagine the idea of Funeral strippers is something that will catch on in Melbourne.  But you never know.

This unusual ritual is sometimes used in Taiwan to ensure that people will turn up to funerals.  Some families hire strippers, host dances and put on elaborate feasts to encourage people to attend the funeral of their loved one.

Rituals regardless of where they come from, bring us together as families, friends and communities.   And these rituals can play an important role in helping to alleviate grief, loss and isolation.