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| South America :::::::::: Mexico Mexico, being a generally very poor nation has funeral traditions that reflect this reality. Families that can afford it will have the casa funeraria (funeral home) place an announcement, called esquelas, in the newspaper but do not include all of the information normally put in an obituary. They give the date and time of death, the name of the difunto (deceased), the names of any children and spouse, the time and place of the velorio, the time and place of the funeral mass, and the place of entierro (burial). It has been a custom in the past and still is, occasionally, to spike cups of coffee with alcohol. It is said that the warmth of the liquor relieves the stress of the loss. The graveyard often has, in addition to individual gravesites, family crypts and huge monuments. Cemeteries are completely surrounded by walls, and in some parts of this wall are nichos (niches) where coffins can be placed. Some native Mexicans believe that the death of a child is the birth of an angel, so they don't view the loss as a mournful event and paint the child's casket is painted red, white and gold, where as other traditions believe that all funerals should be postponed until an animal passes through the house of the deceased. They believe that the animal actually announces the arrival of an angel and is there to guide the deceased's soul to heaven. On the other hand, the Taraumara tribe believes that the soul returns to the home within a year to wreck havoc, spread disease, kill animals and threaten the living and can only be avoided by having a sorcerer talk to the soul and ask it to eat meat. The Day of the Dead, or Dia lod Mortos, is a Mexicans celebration held during the first two days of November, by holding a modern festivity that is characterized by the traditional Mexican blend of aboriginal and Christian features. Basically, on these days the families visit the graves of their close kin and spruce up the sites by decorating them with flowers, and enjoying a picnic. Typically at this time candy shaped skeletons are passed around as gifts. Guatemala While this Central American nation is another highly catholicized nation, many Mayan funeral customs are still to be found in many parts of the country, meaning that spirits and souls of the dead are worshipped. When a man dies a bell is rung out three times in the town and just once when a woman has passed. The deceased body is placed on a funeral bench and covered in a ceremonial blanket, and then it is decorated with postcards and flowers. Wine from sugarcane is then served to mourners prior to the funeral procession which is lead to the cemetery by a marimba band. Mayan custom among the Chui of Guatemala, for example, view death as a transformation to ancestral spirits - spirits which maintain an interest in the family long after they have left this world. These spirits can be approached for advice and aid at altars, cave entrances and hilltops. Panama The most southernmost country in Central America, Panama contains a self-governing region called the San Blas Islands in the Caribbean. Inhabited by the native Kuna tribe, San Blas tradition calls for the summoning of a magician upon the death of any Kuna member who must hold a ceremony called The Ceremony of the Smoke of Cocao Beans and Pepper Seeds. The deceased's body is then placed in a hammock before it is taken to the main Island in the chain and forgotten about. Venezuela The Yanomami of Venezuela believe that a corpse should be burned immediately after death. Following the feast, the remaining bones are ground in to a powder and mixed into a soup made of plantains then eaten by the deceased close relatives. This communal act symbolizes the continuation of the their life and frees the soul of the dead. Ecuador In the main cities, such as the capital Quito, funerals are mainly Catholic-influenced, but with regional variations, but in the outlying regions customs are more traditional. When someone passes away caskets are used but the style and manner in which they are used varies depending on who has died. If it is a child, the casket must be white. If it is an adult, it must be orange and deep red. Immediately following the death, the body is given a hot bath and wrapped in cloth, and food is placed at the head of the coffin. The funeral ceremony is often accompanied by a band playing dirges. Before burial, at the cemetery, which is divided by high walls separating the sections dedicated for blacks and whites, the coffin is placed near the stand for the cross and opened so that the older women can cry out "we are friends, I am glad we lived together by sharing our hardships, our joys." The coffin is then closed and placed in the ground facing south. Peru In the remote and rural areas of this South American nation funerals are held according to traditional customs. Women spread the word of the death and then spend the entire first night with the body and wail loudly as a sigh of their last respects. The women wear Derby hats of various colors (depending on the tribe) covered in charms, which protect them from disease and from possession by evil spirits. Brazil Brazil, the largest nation in South America, is a highly Europeanized nation. Therefore, thanks to its predominately Portuguese heritage, Catholicism influences many of its funeral customs. However, Brazil is also a nation with vast amounts of highly uncharted territory surrounding the world's longest river, the Amazon. Deep within the thick forest wall, thousands upon thousands of diverse native tribes thrive as if Colonialism never existed. Among many of these cultures serious illness and death are considered to be the result of malevolent, evil beings spirits or supernatural creatures. The Apalai tribe, which inhabits the area near the Surinam border, typically brings its deceased in the house, and then, after many deaths the village itself is abandoned. |