Mourning Around the World
Scotland and Ireland
The communal, multi-day Irish and Scottish wakes are a time to celebrate the life of the deceased. At the time of death, the household covers the mirrors and opens the windows to allow the soul to leave peacefully and respectfully. Friends and family gather together and stay with the body in shifts so as to not leave it unattended, with stories, laughter, sharing memories, dancing, and drinking whiskey still customary. In Scotland, bagpipes often lead the burial procession, and the bright colors of the family’s football (soccer) team are often worn or displayed.
Western Abinake
To assist the soul on it’s seven day walk to the afterlife, the family of the deceased keep a sacred fire or lantern burning over the burial sight to help illuminate the way, and the belongings of the deceased are given away so as not to encumber or distract from the journey. The year-long mourning period is marked by withdrawal from community celebrations and the wearing of darkly colored attire, and comes to a close with a community dance to ‘remove the grief’ from the mourners and integrate them back into regular communal life.
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Iran
Traditional mourning in Iran combines Shi’ite Muslim practices with ancient Persian customs that predate Islam. The body is ritually washed and wrapped in a white shroud, then buried within twenty-four hours of death. A forty day period of deep mourning is marked by wearing black attire, loud public wailing, chest beating, and large banners on the home signaling the family’s bereavement. On the fortieth day, the community gathers at the burial site for prayer and food, and the family is then brought out of mourning to resume participation in regular communal life.
Ojibwe
Believing that the soul of the deceased lingers near its body for four days, the community maintains a ceremonial fire and offers gifts and prayers to honor and guide the departed spirit as it begins the journey to the Land of the Souls. The body is then wrapped in cloth or bark, and a small wooden spirit house is placed over the grave to hold offerings. Ojibwe does not have a word for goodbye - rather the spoken farewell means I’ll see you again. After a year of mourning, the community holds a Restoration of the Mourner feast, releasing the family from their bereavement period and welcoming their return to regular communal celebrations.
West Africa
Traditional mourning rituals in West Africa are communal events spanning several stages. The deceased are washed and clothed in fine garments, and gifts of money and other items are placed in the casket to assist the soul in its passage to the afterlife. Funerals are often large, colorful events, and after the burial the mourners wash their hands and feet in herbal waters to separate the dead from the living. Some communities hold extended memorial services spanning days or weeks, and widows often mark their year-long mourning by wearing black and shaving their heads.
Madagascar
Believing that the soul of the deceased does not fully pass over into the afterlife until the body is fully decomposed, the Malagasy people of Madagascar celebrate Famadihana, or the turning of the bones. Every five to seven years, the families of the departed gather at the ancestral crypt to gently collect the remains of the deceased. The bones and partial remains are cleaned, re-wrapped in silk, and then carried on shoulders while the family celebrates with food, drink, and dancing. At sunset, the bones are returned to their resting place until the next observance, in a cycle of honoring their continued ancestral bonds.