No matter who we are or where we come from, grief visits us all. Over millennia, cultures and traditions around the world have practiced elaborate rites and rituals that help them find meaning and comfort after the loss of a loved one. While the emotional pain and heartache can be hard to bear, grief and loss can bring families and communities together in a way that nothing else can. Here’s a fascinating, eye-opening and ultimately comforting look at how different cultures deal with death:
In Chinese culture, the community gathers around the grieving family and mourners offer incense, and food and they donate money to help pay for the funeral. The mourning period can last up to 100 days, as it is believed this is the length of time it takes for a soul to be reborn.
For Hindus, relatives and friends from near and far come together to offer emotional and spiritual support to the bereaved over a 13-day deep mourning period that encourages unrestricted expressions of grief. Ashes of the deceased are scattered over water and the Ganges river in India is considered to be the holiest and most desirable place for this ritual.
Native American Lakota tribe elders say the phrase “mitakuye oyasin” which roughly translates to “we are all related.” These words reflect the central spiritual message of the Lakota that the passing and loss of one individual is felt and experienced by all in the tribe.
In Egypt those close to the deceased are not expected to “get over” their loss in weeks or even months. Mourning tearfully over a period of years is accepted without judgment and considered to be perfectly natural.
The indigenous Māori people of New Zealand practice elaborate funeral rites. The Tangihanga process, commonly known as the tangi, which means to weep, involves a display of traditional artifacts including weapons and jewelry, a cleansing ceremony, dancing, singing and a farewell speech among other rituals.
In Tibet, Buddhists mourn for 49 days after the funeral. Family members gather during this time to make clay figures and prayer flags as an expression of grief.
How Cultures Around the World Find Comfort After the Loss of a Loved One
No matter who we are or where we come from, grief visits us all. Over millennia, cultures and traditions around the world have practiced elaborate rites and rituals that help them find meaning and comfort after the loss of a loved one. While the emotional pain and heartache can be hard to bear, grief and […]
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