CONTEMPLATE, HONOR, AND CELEBRATE: LIFE AND DEATH IN THE FUNERAL RITUAL
Funeral ceremonies are an important part of the grieving process. They are also an opportunity for people to meet, say goodbye, and honor the deceased. Many traditions play a role in modern funeral ceremonies. Rituals are the product of history, customs, and the peculiar ways we contemplate death and honor those we love.
An example of these ancient traditions is the funeral process in Chinese culture, perceived as one of their most important events. Ceremonies can vary greatly depending on the regions, religions, cultures, and family customs of the deceased.
In ancient China, when a person died, their body was placed in a funeral cart and placed outside the door of their family home so that everyone could pay their respects. The body was then taken to a place where it would be buried or cremated. The mourning system was very strict, their body was not allowed to be touched for a certain period. Only once this period passed could the relatives begin to prepare the burial. The remains were washed under running water, dressed in simple clothing, and placed on a bamboo bed. At that time, the remains were surrounded by food and drink.
“Different in life, men are alike in death.” - Lao Tse
Modern funeral ceremonies have evolved from ancient rituals. The modern ones are more significant because they help the relatives and friends of the deceased to cope with their loss and adequately acknowledge their contribution to the world using rituals in a more personalized way.
Sticking with ancient China, burial was a major undertaking, and the preparations were often more important than the ceremony itself. The Zhou dynasty, which considered itself the leader of everything under heaven, buried their dead on the tops of mountains to ensure that they ascended to heaven.
Noble families, who were buried on level ground, were buried with goods and wealth from those who had lived above them. However, those who led commoner lives were buried with very little in comparison. In some cases, the only thing marking commoners' graves were food and drink tokens.
The Zhou dynasty was one of the longest in China. It lasted longer than any other dynasty in Chinese history. As such, it has a rich and varied cultural heritage that is still being discovered and appreciated today. And precisely one of the most interesting aspects of the Zhou Empire was its way of burying the dead.
Most people assume that funeral ceremonies today are not very different from those of the past. However, rituals change, transform, and respond to new ways of understanding life and death which continues even today.
Funerals are an important part of cultures around the world. For example, after a body is cremated in Spain, relatives carry the ashes to a secluded place to say goodbye, often carrying the urn on their heads. In Nigeria, people gather around the coffin for a wake that lasts for days. Filipinos believe that death is just a part of life and every day is an opportunity to celebrate life.
Funeral practices have been around since the dawn of man. When a person dies, their body is placed in their final resting place, which has been done in many different ways throughout history. Today it is common for modern funeral ceremonies to be held in a funeral home or another venue, but what is interesting is that this was not always the case.
There are a thousand and one ways that we celebrate life… and death.
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