The same idea in 18 places, grouped by region. Each entry is a short portrait; follow the link for the full tradition.
Hindus cremate the dead, usually within a day, with the eldest son lighting the pyre, and the ashes are immersed in a river such as the Ganges at Varanasi. A thirteen-day period of mourning follows, closing with a feast.
Read: AntyestiKathmandu's Pashupatinath temple hosts cremations on the Bagmati River, and Newar families carry out elaborate rites on the 4th, 13th and 45th days. Sky burial is also practised in the high Himalaya.
Pashupatinath Temple, being writtenBuddhist funerals involve a week or more of chanting at a temple, with monks and relatives, and cremation with a fine wooden pyre. Guests may receive a small book or gift in the name of the dead person.
Read: Thai funeralMourners wear white and give money in white envelopes, with incense and paper offerings burned for the afterlife. In some regions there are funeral bands, a mourning period of 49 days and a visit to the grave at Qingming.
Read: Chinese funeral ritualsTraditional Mongolian and Tibetan Buddhist practice includes sky burial, in which the body is left on the open steppe or mountain, an act of generosity to the birds and a return to nature. The family leaves the place without a marker, and the practice is gradually giving way to burial in the cities.
Read: Sky burialKazakhs keep memorial meals on the third, seventh and fortieth days and at the end of a year, and the family receives condolences in the yurt or home. Relatives cover their heads in black, and the grave is often marked by a small mausoleum.
Kazakhs, being writtenJewish funerals take place as soon as possible, with a plain wooden coffin or shroud, the Kaddish prayer and seven days of shiva at the family home. Visitors bring food and sit with the mourners.
Shiva, being writtenMuslims bury the dead within a day, in a plain white shroud, after a congregational prayer. Graves are unmarked, and condolences are received for three days.
Islamic funeral, being writtenEgyptians hold a funeral prayer at the mosque and gather for condolences and a recitation of the Quran, and families visit the cemetery on the third, fortieth day and anniversary. Coptic Christians hold their own rites.
Islamic funeral, being writtenFunerals are major events, often held weeks after the death, with dancing, drumming, matching cloth for the family and sometimes fantasy coffins built in the shape of a boat, a fish or a car. Funerals are often held on weekends, with printed posters and cloth bearing the face of the dead, and the family may hire a band.
Read: Fantasy coffinsFunerals are held on Saturdays, with a night vigil, hymns and a communal meal. Many families keep a mourning period, with black clothes for a year, and slaughter an animal to guide the spirit home.
Xhosa people, being writtenA wake of two or three days comes before the funeral, with the body at home, neighbours calling and tea, whiskey and sandwiches served. A keening song was once sung by women at the graveside.
Read: WakeA funeral service at a church or crematorium is followed by refreshments and the funeral tea, sometimes in a pub, to share stories. Black is traditional and donations to a charity often replace flowers.
Read: FuneralIn New Orleans a jazz funeral leads the mourners with a slow dirge to the cemetery, then a lively second line returns, celebrating life. Many families also hold a visitation or wake, then a graveside burial.
Read: Jazz funeralA novena of nine nights of prayers follows the death, and the family remembers the dead each year at Day of the Dead. A cross of ashes or lime is sometimes used to mark the spot.
Read: NovenaWakes, velorios, are held on the night of the death, with prayers, coffee and kin. A seventh-day mass is a common remembrance in Catholic families.
Read: WakeThe tangi is a Maori funeral lasting several days at the marae, with the body present, speeches, songs, weeping and food. Mourners wear a wreath of greenery, a kawakawa.
Tangihanga, being writtenAmong some highland peoples, mourners cover themselves in clay, and communities hold feasts and exchanges of pigs and gifts for the dead person's family, restoring the balance of the community. The ceremonies can take place long after the death and include songs, dance and a long period of mourning.
Read: FuneralWritten by the EveryParampara desk with AI assistance. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
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