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“Making Mobiles” by Karolina Merska: An artist’s manual on how to create beautiful Polish pajaki -
“Hands Up to the Sky” by Michael Franti & Spearhead: A surprisingly upbeat song about acknowledging both loss and the beauty of life -
Coping With Election Grief: While half of Americans are celebrating, the other half are in mourning
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Categories
Tag Archives: African funeral customs
The Evolution of After-Tears Parties in South Africa
More young people are bucking tradition and mourning loved ones in their own way
Traditions aren’t static. They constantly warp and evolve with every new generation. This is especially true in South Africa, as younger generations living in urban areas have adopted a brand new burial tradition: after-tears parties. An after-tears party is a time … Continue reading
Professional Pallbearers Dance the Dead Out in Style
Cross-continental tradition honours the dead with coffin choreography
If you attend a funeral in parts of West Africa and the Southern United States, you may witness some fancy footwork by professional pallbearers who specialize in dancing with the dead. These dancing pallbearers often sing gospel or other sacred … Continue reading
Ghanian Funeral Fabrics Symbolize Attitude Toward Death
Colorful funeral attire tells story of relationship to ancestors
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 … Continue reading
Kifudu Funeral Dance of the Giriama People
This African dance brings communities together to send spirits of loved ones to ancestral realms
The Giriama are an agricultural and hunter-gatherer sub-group of the larger Mijikenda ethnic group who live along the coast of Kenya. One of the distinguishing features of their cultural and spiritual life — and a main reason why they were able … Continue reading
When Convenience Meets Funerals
Drive-thru funerals slowly becoming an option geared towards African-Americans in the US
Americans relish the freedom to choose how to cope with the deaths of loved ones as well as the types of funerals with which honor them. It’s hardly surprising that a culture which embraces any new convenience, such as fast … Continue reading
