Ghanian Funeral Fabrics Symbolize Attitude Toward Death

Ghanian funerals are notable for their festive nature and the fact that they are spread over several days, usually on weekends. Sometimes called “celebrations of life” or “funeral parties,” they usually include official mourning with tears profusely shed, prayers, sometimes a church service, and plenty of music, food, drink and dancing. Billboards line the streets, letting the whole community know that someone’s life will be honored by a lavish event for all well-wishers of the family. A Ghanian funeral may cost upwards of $15,000 to $20,000 — as much as a wedding. A notable aspect of this affair is how mourners come dressed for the occasion, in rich textiles predominantly of red, black and white.

Ghana is known widely for its traditional textiles, which hold symbolic significance at funerals. It is believed that a funeral helps a person’s spirit cross over safely from the realm of the living to the realm of the ancestors; the mourners’ attire is part of how the living communicate their attention and affection for the dead. All three mourning colors — red, black and white — hold a widely-accepted symbolic meaning indicative of a mourner’s relationship to the person who has died as well as their attitude toward the death.

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Red clothing indicates that a mourner was part of the family of the person who died; black indicates sadness; and white is worn to celebrate a life well lived. White is most commonly worn by all mourners when a person 70 years of age or older dies, because the length of their life is considered a victory. Red and black attire indicates a close relationship to the person who died as well as grief over their passing; white and black attire indicates that a mourner is grieved at a person’s passing while acknowledging that the person lived a life worthy of celebration and praise.

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Another defining aspect of Ghanian funerals is the creative coffins that often rival the excessive burial accoutrements popular in North America, often at great cost to the family. Ghanians, however, prefer a more personalized and whimsical twist.

Weeping and dancing, grieving and enjoyment coexist at Ghanian funeral parties, truly encompassing in a single gathering the complexity of a life.