Religious/Cultural Traditions
Buddhist Funeral Traditions
Buddhist Funerals & Reincarnation There are no specific rituals or rites common to all Buddhists. Funeral traditions vary greatly between the different types (sects) and countries where the funeral takes place due to different teachings and beliefs of the religion. However, central to all Buddhism, is the belief in reincarnation ...
Continue ReadingJehovah's Witness Funeral Traditions
Religious Background on Jehova's Witness Jehovah’s Witness is a distinct denomination of Christianity. The origins of the religion can be traced back to Charles Russell’s Bible Student movement in America during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Jehovah’s Witness is characterized by a rigid set of beliefs that are ...
Continue ReadingIslamic Funeral Traditions
Religious Background on Islam Muslims, the worshippers of Islam, believe that there is only one God (Allah) and that Muhammad is God’s prophet. The Quran is the primary holy book of Islamic teachings. Most Muslims either belong to the Sunni denomination (~80%) or the Shia denomination (~15%). With about 1.6 billion ...
Continue ReadingMormon Funeral Traditions
A Religious Background Mormons believe that the human body and spirit separate at death. Afterwards, the spirit is judged and is either sent to paradise or prison in the spirit world. Eventually, body and spirit are resurrected at the Final Judgment and – based on the goodness of the individual ...
Continue ReadingHindu Funeral Traditions
Background on Hinduism Hinduism is the dominant religion of the Indian sub-continent and the third largest religion in the world, with around a billion followers. It is also widely held as the oldest organized religion in the world. Hinduism is considered to be a fusion of ancient cultural traditions from ...
Continue ReadingQuaker Funeral Traditions
About The Quaker Religion Although Quakerism has evolved greatly since the outset, its founding principle still prevails throughout the religion. This primary belief is that the ‘inner light’ of Christ (and by extension, God) lives inside the soul of every human. And, thus, this ‘light’ should be cultivated individually without ...
Continue ReadingEastern Europe Funeral Customs
Eastern Orthodox Influence Funeral traditions in Eastern Europe are guided heavily by the Christian beliefs of the Eastern Orthodox Church. The Orthodox Church officially separated from the Roman Catholic Church in the year 1054. This historical event is known as the Great Schism. Today, the Eastern Orthodox Church is the ...
Continue ReadingEast Asia Funeral Customs
This section provides an overview of funeral rituals and customs in East Asia. Click on one of the following countries to skip to that section and learn about the specific and unique funeral practices of China, South Korea, Vietnam and Philippines. Basic Spiritual Beliefs A common belief in East Asia is that the spirits ...
Continue ReadingDramatic Funeral Customs From Around the World
Cover Photocredit: Design Indaba Around the world, there are many different ways to commemorate and respect the deaths of those who have passed. In North America, cremation and ground burial are the most common means of burial. Here we are highlighting five (5) dramatic (and graphic) death customs that were or ...
Continue ReadingSitting shiva: A guide for the planner
If you haven't read our artciles blogs about shiva make sure to check them out. Our first blog Shiva 101 talks about what is shiva. The second blog deals with Shiva Etiquette. This blog tells you how to help your Jewish friends mourn. Shiva is observed by Jewish mourners for seven ...
Continue Reading
