Not every culture practices the custom of traditional burials in the ground; in fact, that ritual can seem strange to many people when we see it as so ordinary. Around the world, there exist many different and unique cultural mourning rituals, each one holding significant meaning to the culture from which it originates. Knowing what those customs are can affect the way you view mourning and what it means to celebrate the life and death of a loved one.
Nordic Water Burials
Often portrayed in pop culture, many cultures—most prominently Nordic ones—practice the custom of water burials. Sometimes, this entails placing the deceased’s coffin on a cliff facing the sea; other times, it takes the form of putting bodies on “death ships.” These ships hold the bodies of the deceased as their friends and family members cast the ships out into open water. The boat will eventually succumb to the waves, sinking and giving the body back to the water.
Cultures that practice water burials place heavy religious emphasis on the sea. They view it as the place where deities reside, and this type of send-off is a way to give their loved ones’ soul back to the gods.
Tibetan Sky Burials
Similar to water burials but yet significantly different, Tibetan sky funerals are commonly found in Buddhist beliefs. Practitioners want to give the deceased’s soul back to heaven, and the only way they can do that is by performing a sky burial. In this ritual, Buddhist priests place the body—which is sometimes cut into pieces—outside and allow birds and other animals to consume it. The ceremony is highly symbolic of the circle of life: the body of the deceased returns to nature, disappearing from the world to come back as something else. Practitioners intentionally want no trace of the body left to fully embrace the passing into the next life.
Hawaiian Funeral Customs
Hawaiian funerals can look similar to traditional Western customs, but what sets them apart is the inclusion of the Hawaiian lei, a necklace constructed from the flowers of the Hawaiian islands. Visitors to the funeral traditionally give these necklaces to the family members of the deceased, showing their sorrow for the loss and their respect for the dead. After the funeral ceremony, those in attendance will go to the ocean and throw their leis into the sea.
The lei holds many different meanings in Hawaiian culture, and there are several different types to bring to a funeral. These necklaces symbolize love, respect, honor, and togetherness, and throwing them into the ocean is a symbol of returning to nature.
Cultural Variation
Every culture has its own unique mourning rituals for funerals, but they are all meant to honor the life and death of the deceased. While some may seem disrespectful, the deeper implications and symbolism of the ceremony honors the cycle of life and our place in it.