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| Europe :::::::::: Ireland While the Irish are world-renowned for their celebratory wakes following a funeral, Irish funeral traditions actually involved much more. It is customary for the family to place a white card with a black frame at the entrance of the home, which is kept until the end of funerals. Originally the funeral service was recited in Gaelic and Latin at the service, and cremation was not - and generally still not - permitted. Traditionally, neighboring women, experienced in laying out the body, gather at the house of the deceased, where the body is washed. A crucifix is then placed on the breast and rosary beads are put in the fingers. Sheets are hung over the bed and along two or three sides. Another Irish funeral practice is called Keening and Crying. This tradition involves having the mourning family produce either muffled sobs or loud wailing related to their depth of sorrow. During an Irish wake, the corpse must not be left unattended for the entire wake and visitation often lasts until midnight. However, close neighbors remain till morning. They will drink tea, whisky or Guinness and talk about general affairs, and share anecdotes about the deceased within a somber mood. Lithuania In Lithuania the dead are most often buried in the ground. Lithuanians consider death to be a path to the joyous afterlife, which they describe as a beautiful garden, far away across the waters, on a big mountain. Lithuanians believe that death is assigned to each person beforehand, so no matter how cautious they are they will definitely die of their prescribed demise. In Lithuanian folklore and beliefs, death is imagined as having a true material shape; it is a tall, blind, woman with a scythe in her hands, called "Giltin�." It is traditionally believed that placing the dead person in the coffin means the final separation from the living, because it was believed that while the dead person lies on the boards, inside the house, he hears everything but when the dead person is put into the coffin, he hears no more. As soon as the dead person is placed in the coffin, the coffin is taken out immediately so that there can be no more deaths in the home, which is why Lithuanians rush to remove all funeral regalia. Ukraine It is traditional to prepare for one's own funeral by setting aside a full set of clothes. Since married women are supposed to have their hair covered, a new kerchief is usually part of the funeral packet of any married woman. A large black and white cross is placed in the hands of the corpse, and a small cross around the neck. It is necessary to have the right "papers," as well as the two crosses. The papers are a strip printed like a crown, which is placed on the corpse's forehead, and a prayer, which is folded up and placed in the hands. The prayer is a "passport" of sorts. The deceased must present it to St. Peter to gain admission into heaven. After the traditional Psalter reading over the deceased while they lie in the home, which can last from one to three nights, bread is paid for the Psalter reading. A ritual towel is embroidered - kept in special linen chests - to help prevent the return of the unquiet dead. Anyone who died young, especially someone who died violently, is believed to be capable of haunting the living. One method of gaining peace for such a person was to embroider a towel. Turkey In small towns and villages outside of the main metropolises, the most common way of announcing a death is to ask the hodja (Muslim priest) to call people for a funeral service. The eyes of the dead are closed, the jaw is tied, and the head is turned to direction of Mecca. The feet must be placed together and the hands are laid side by side and on the stomach. All of his or her clothes are removed, and in some regions metallic articles such as a knife are put on abdomen of the deceased person. The room in which the deceased person lies cleaned and illuminated, as the Qu'ran is read to them. Preparation for the funeral includes three important rituals: washing of the corpse, wrapping it in a shroud and praying, which is performed at the funeral. Female corpses are always washed by women washers and male corpses by male washers. The people who perform these tasks are professional washers, hodjas, experienced washers, or religious men/women. The colour of shroud is always white. Tombstones are the most beautiful examples of Turkish taste. Inscriptions on these tombstones - called "Balbal" by ancient Turks - often include a history of the individual and lament his/her death. Russia Russia, the world's largest country, is so vast and diverse it is hard to generalize on Russian funeral traditions. However there are some notable practices that many will find intriguing. When someone dies in The Nivf tribe, which inhabits the North in the Sakhalin and Amur River region, the family holds a wake with relatives and keeps a fire burning for 3 days, 4 days if female. The deceased's body goes to an outdoor crematorium, where the body must be carried feet first from the house. At the crematorium, the body must be turned from East to West then placed on a pyre. A dog is then often sacrificed and later eaten with gruel. The remains of the dead body are then carried to a community cave and buried with all of his/her possessions, so that they can be used in the next life. |