...Funeral Traditions in America from Around The World America has many traditions, but one tradition that many don’t like to speak of is funerals. A funeral is when a loved one has passed and there is a celebration of life and put to rest, in this case with many traditions around the world there are different ways of remembering ones loved one when passing. America is a big continent where many people from around the world live in and bring their traditions with them and still continue them here, and one of those traditions is a funeral. To begin with one of the popular traditions that are regular to do in most places like in the article that Marian T. Horvat states is in the past, the funeral was held from the home or from funeral parlors. In the former case, rarely practiced in the United States today, the body was prepared to repose in the person’s own bed for twelve hours, during which time only family members were received to offer their last respects and prayers. After this the coffin was placed in the living room, and the bereaved family received condolence visits from friends and neighbors. As a point of honor and respect, the family made sure that at least one person kept watch over the deceased at all hours until the body was taken to the Church for the requiem Mass and then burial. The term wake came from this time of watch. The customs vary in each country, but in general, the deceased is laid out at the family home or the hospital chapel, often in an open coffin...
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...similarities, and just as many differences, in relation to their specific views on death, dying, bereavement and grieving. Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism all contain their own system of beliefs and traditions that members use in order to deal with impending death. Judaism is the oldest of the three monotheistic religions that stems from the Middle East and follows the teachings of Abraham and Moses. Judaism believes that death was a direct consequence of Adam and Eve eating from the forbidden “Tree of Conscience” (Leming, 2011). There are several branches of Judaism throughout the world: Orthodox Judaism, Hasidism, Neo-Orthodox Judaism, Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Reconstructionist (Wilkinson, 2008). All of these sects of Judaism can have very different traditions in regard to the treatment of the deceased’s body. Under the old Jewish tradition, the body of the deceased must be buried as soon as possible after death, within twenty-four hours if possible, although the burial cannot happen on the Sabbath. Before burial, the body is washed, anointed with oils and spices, and dressed in a white linen sheet after which it is buried in Jewish consecrated ground. More contemporary Jews are more likely to choose cremation over burial. Jews have a multi-tiered morning practice. For the first seven days after the death of a loved one, “close relatives sit at home to observe the period of mourning known as Shiva” (Pollock, 2008, p. 107). During this...
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...Galilee Memorial Gardens Elizabeth Hamilton Professor April 19, 2014 Galilee Memorial Gardens The place named Galilee memorial Gardens would not be of ant importance unless for the recent news that virtually shocked many Americans illustrating how desire for money, greed and personal well- being, prompted the owners of Galilee to engage in fraud and put the interest of society behind their own. The essay explores the case of Galilee in greater detail, paying attention to the causes and the outcomes of the situation. It is a perfect case that illustrates the need for constant public oversight of the corporate and business activities which in their pursuit of profits will not hesitate to desecrate the tombs, rebury corps, let alone sell something that is not their own. To cut the long story short, Galilee is one of the many cemeteries in Tennessee, and it would have remained unknown and unpopular if not for the recent scandal. The owner of the cemetery, Jemar Lambert chose to make some extra cash and thus used the cemetery beyond its current capacity for which he is now charged with theft of property and abuse of a corpse. Jemar sold many of the pre-need plots and ended up selling more than the cemetery could currently hold. Therefore, he chose to ultimately bury corpses outside the cemetery, on the lands that did not belong to him. Furthermore, after finding out that some graves were too old and unattended, and he expected...
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...still mysterious and unknown to most people outside of the country. Nowadays, the amount of foreigners come to Vietnam is increasing day by day; some people come to travel, and some come for their business. Getting to know, Vietnamese culture is interesting and fascinating because of its varieties. Since Vietnam is an Asian country, it has a lot of differences in culture compare to the Western countries, and Vietnamese beliefs and rituals of the death is one of the most interesting topics. Death is a part of life that everyone has to accept. We all have to die. “Death and grief are normal life events, all culture have developed ways to cope with death in a respectful manner” (Carteret). Vietnam is a small country, but it has numerous traditions concerning death rites. Different parts of Vietnam have separated death beliefs and rituals. Vietnamese honor and respect their ancestors and the deceased people so they strictly pay attention to funerals and worships. To them, funeral is a big ritual in a life cycle. Every region and religion has its own definition and how the funeral should be. Funeral usually includes many processes which is made and dedicated from those who are living to the person who has died. In Vietnam, when a person is about to die and his/her family may predict, the first judgment is asking whether that person wants to weary anything; these last few words are called the will. After that, the family washes and cleans his/her body and put some nice clothes on...
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...A Discussion about Death Jeff Tiedemann May 14, 2011 Grand Canyon University The following paper will be part interview and part essay. A local funeral director was interviewed about final preparations, the purpose of a modern funeral, how people cope with death, and unusual request for funeral services. A brief discussion how some modern funeral traditions were originated and why death is almost always attached to fear will also be addressed. Death is still reacted to with fear even with all the modern scientific and medical knowledge that is available to our society. Since no one has ever died and returned to tell about what death is really like, we as humans have a natural fear of what is not understood or cannot be controlled (www.wyfda.org 1). The typical response to death is avoidance because death is not a pleasant topic of conversation. Most speak of people dying and not focusing on themselves. Fear has been a response to death since primitive times; this fear started the first burial rituals, that were meant to protect the lining from the spirits, which caused the death (1). Along with the burning of corpses to destroy evil spirits, some cultures would eat the deceased as a show of respect to the person who died (www.anthropology.uwaterloo.ca 2). The fear of the dead carried over into religious thought and sacrifices of all kinds were made in honor of the dead and to appease the spirits. A modern funeral for most cultures is a spiritual experience. According...
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...in the last 100 years, in this paper I address the history in polish funerary traditions and what my family and family friends experienced when they had the unfortunately to experience a death. Back in the day, superstitions and spiritual customs were very important when dealing with the death of a loved one. The soul and spirit of the deceased were still are key elements in society’s culture. According to Martha Stortz in the article Grief and the Christian Funeral, says during a sermon “grieving works in both personal and social settings”. It is not just the family of the deceased that grieves but also the community comes together to help with the funeral. In the article Burial Rituals and Cultural Changes in the Polish Community by Igor Piekiewicz, states that death and bereavement rituals are separate though primarily focus on the deceased and the bereaved. Rituals are performed to purify the spirit and aid its transition process from the realm of the living toward the realm of the dead. Before the funeral, there is a censing of the body with blessed herbs and sprinkle it with holy water. This aims to pacify and protect the community from devilish spirits. Considering common beliefs about life, the nature of the world, and spirituality among the given religious culture. Igor Piekiewicz indicates that being strong in a community is important for the bereaved for consolation. Another tradition performed in the household is to open and close all the doors and windows so that...
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...time and put the proverbial last nail in your coffin, with a bill attached! With the exception of a huge natural disaster, accident or war, the funeral industry can quite accurately predict its number of customers for the forthcoming year using the country’s population statistics and current death rates. With such detailed statistics to hand this has to be one of the easiest industries to forecast. Figure 1.1 shows the death rate falling in recent years as population increases. Each customer is new (although dead!) but new business can only be achieved by taking from a competitor and not by a sudden jump in demand for the product. Andrew Loos explains “You’re battling for current customers (of other funeral homes), many of them with deep traditions, so the battleground is new customers who’ve moved into your area and also disloyal customers from other funeral services” So recession or no recession the customers will keep coming. Recession proof? Well not really. For the purpose of this essay I will be referring to the Irish, UK and North American funeral industries. The industry is not often talked about. For some people it...
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...Cremation: The clash of tradition and pragmatism I. Introduction Main claim: In light of the rising costs of funeral and wake services, cremation becomes a more practical option for Filipinos because it is more affordable, and allows for a more efficient use of space, as well as accessibility to visitors; nevertheless, it is still controversial to those who rigidly follow traditional Catholic burial rites. A. Difference between cremation and traditional burial B. The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines or CBCP’s preference for inhumation (traditional burial rites) and the liturgical guidelines on practicing cremation C. Filipinos’ initial reaction when introduced to the practice of cremation and their present response II. Presentation of Criteria A. Affordability 1. Claim: Cremation is more affordable than traditional burial rites, and many Filipinos—especially the financially incapable—will benefit more in cremating their deceased loved ones. 2. Supports: Price range of cremation versus that of funeral services (caskets, lawn lots, maintenance); Statistics of the increasing number of Filipinos choosing cremation for its lower expenses B. Availability of Space 1. Claim: Cremation allows for a more efficient use of space than traditional funerals, which require burial lawn lots. 2. Supports: Report on how major cities in the NCR are running out of burial plots to accommodate the deceased; Increase in sales of ash vaults...
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...culture for instance their practices, functions, and activities. One such practice we can analyze is their practice of the burial of their dead. Romans traditionally would bury their dead outside of their cities or within a designated area much like a cemetery or a city for their dead. Romans in early times had cremated their dead like the Etruscans did and they would place their ashes within shrines and altars however this was until sometime within the first century and the second century. The change that rose within this time period was the knowledge of preserving the bodies of their dead. This led to Rome constructing sarcophagi and change to Roman traditions of burial. Romans, according to law were not permitted to bury their dead within two Roman miles of the city. Naturally, the rise of graveyards emerged within the countryside and the development of catacombs for the dead. Roman sarcophagi were constructed elaborately from marble and in some cases stone, wood, or lead. The usage of sarcophagi were traditions Etruscans and the Greek had practiced before Romans adopted the practice after some influence from Etruscan and Greek influences. Despite the popularity and emergence of the adopted tradition of sarcophagi for burial only those wealth and of high status that could afford to have the elaborate marble coffins to Intro- introduce the tradition of burial for romans. How did romans go about burying their dead? Reason for decorating sarcophagi/urns. Did these decorations hold...
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...the current death rituals that are still practiced today. The Catholic religion beliefs was all I knew while growing up, and our family respected and always made time to attended a rosary and burial service for the person that has passed. Since Mexicans are incredibly family oriented, and to be involved of a loved one or close friend funeral is an important gesture to do in life. When someone in our family passes, we usually contact all family members and set up a proper burial service for them. The funeral process includes a rosary praying service the night before the burial, praying the rosary is a Mexican tradition and it includes the well-known prayers of the Apostles Creed, the Our Father (Lord's Prayer), the Hail Mary and the Glory Be (Williams). The rosary prayer is prayed with an open casket at a church, and then family members usually say some kind words of the person and the life he or she lived. Then, the following day everyone will meet at the cemetery for the burial service, and they are usually buried in the same area with other relatives that have passed. A short prayer is said then everyone gradually throw flowers and dirt on top of the casket to show their respects and it is their way in saying goodbye. Family and friends have a potluck celebration right after the burial service, usually at a...
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...some tips to help you shop for funeral services: ●Compare prices from at least two funeral homes. Remember that you can supply your own casket or urn. ●Ask for a price list. The law requires funeral homes to give you written price lists for products and services. ●Resist pressure to buy goods and services you don’t really want or need. ●Avoid emotional overspending. It’s not necessary to have the fanciest casket or the most elaborate funeral to properly honor a loved one. ●Recognize your rights. Laws regarding funerals and burials vary from state to state. It’s a smart move to know which goods or services the law requires you to purchase and which are optional. ●Apply the same smart shopping techniques you use for other major purchases. You can cut costs by limiting the viewing to one day or one hour before the funeral, and by dressing your loved one in a favorite outfit instead of costly burial clothing. ●Shop in advance. It allows you to comparison shop without time constraints, creates an opportunity for family discussion, and lifts some of the burden from your family. 3 The FTC Funeral Rule The FTC enforces the Funeral Rule, which makes it possible for you to choose only the goods and services you want or need and pay only for those you select, whether you are making arrangements when a death occurs or pre-need. The Rule allows you to compare prices among funeral homes. The Rule does not apply to third-party sellers...
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...RYAN FUNERAL HOME CASE INTRODUCTION On a warm Chicago evening in August 2005, Regina Ryan leaned back in an overstuffed armchair in her brightly lit apartment above Ryan Funeral Home. Seventy-five years old and a widow, Regina smiled as she looked at the sons and daughters gathered before her: Maureen, Patrick, Sean, Brendan, Conner, and Siobhan. Finally she spoke: “Your father was proud to own his own funeral home. He built this from nothing to what it is today. By serving local families so well, the name Ryan Funeral Home has come to mean compassion, integrity, and quality to those in this area. Reputation is everything in the funeral business. “He’s gone now, and I must decide what’s to become of all this. I always thought it would be a simple decision: pass the business to the next generation.” “It’s not so simple. The funeral industry has changed dramatically from what it was when we started out. It’s much harder to make a living than it once was. Nonetheless, I know that the reason your father started this business was because he wanted something to pass on to his children. This was to be his legacy.” As her mother spoke, Maureen thought about how important the future of Ryan Funeral Home was to her personally. She was the only one of the six children who had become a funeral director, and she has worked alongside her father for eleven years. Maureen often met with families to make funeral arrangements when her father was busy elsewhere...
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...person dies a ceremony will be held most likely involving their closest friends, family, or neighbors. It is understood that you live and die, but what funerals provide is a peace that can come with the inescapable end. However has anyone ever really stepped back and examined why we really do these ceremonies or death rituals? If at first we can understand the origins of the traditions, we can then see how different societies go about recognizing different people, and how these practices have been altered over time in our day and age. Funeral practices are as old as the human race itself, and this is made obvious in information found on the Neanderthals from 60,000 B.C. The ritual of a funeral starts when a persons heart stops or breathing ceases classifying them as dead. The time followed after a person is declared dead consists of various treatments of the body, time for disposing of the remains, and a period of mourning for all who knew the person. Neanderthals are considered the first people to perform death rituals/ funeral practices. According to one scholar Max Gluckman the origins of the traditions of funerals started with the Neanderthals and was developed as a way to “secure certain blessings, and provide protection as well as prosperity” (Gluckman pg.25). The Neanderthals had an instinct in their rituals to always handle the deceased body with care. When the time came to burry the body, they were typically put in caves with delicacy and caution. The head of the deceased...
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...industry, one of the oldest and among the most stable of industries regardless of economic trends, is facing one of the biggest challenges of its existence, and the threat is coming from an unlikely source – their own customers. People’s attitudes towards funerals have been changing and as a result, the number of traditional funerals has been declining. Funeral customs and services are as old as civilization itself. Throughout the history of mankind, every culture and civilization studied has attended to the proper care and disposition of their dead by way of three common things: some type of funeral rites, rituals and ceremonies, a sacred resting place and memorialization (Whittaker, 2005). Researchers have discovered Neanderthal burial grounds dating back to 60,000 BC along with animal antlers and flower remnants placed on the corpse indicating a form of ritual and gifts of remembrance. Primitive man lived in fear and reacted to life events and most natural phenomenon, such as weather, and attributed these acts to that of a higher being. Live and death events were thought to be the acts of spirits. These spirits were frightening as they could not be seen or sensed....
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...Publications by an authorized administrator of OpenSIUC. For more information, please contact jnabe@lib.siu.edu. C u r r e n t A n t h r o p o l o g y Volume 45, Number 3, June 2004 2004 by The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. All rights reserved 0011-3204/2004/4503-0004$3.00 An Integrated Analysis of PreHispanic Mortuary Practices A Middle Sican Case Study1 ´ by Izumi Shimada, Ken-ichi Shinoda, Julie Farnum, Robert Corruccini, and Hirokatsu Watanabe Recent debate has raised serious questions about the viability of the social and ideological reconstruction of prehistoric culture on the basis of mortuary analysis. In recent years bioarchaeology has gained considerable prominence, underscoring the fact that death, burials, and associated...
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