Cultural Death Beliefs

Death is a part of life. The way one choses to deal with death varies depending on many different nurtured practices throughout one’s life. Different cultures have distinct rituals and practices of how one should grieve a loss. Some choose to be grieve in private while others choose to do it more outwardly. Some people seek outside help such as agencies, churches, mosques, or counseling to help them with the process. Some choose a set of rituals such as the Religion they follow to help them cope during the difficult time. Religion plays a large role in the observances and practices regarding death. Coping with the loss of a loved one cannot always be reduced to one distinct guideline, set for all to benefit from. There are many ways to cope

Before the burial, the body is fully cleaned and covered in a plain shroud, for that a poor person should not have less honor than the rich (Lamm, 2000). Common among many Religions but in the Jewish faith the cleanliness of the body is highly emphasized, when the body has been removed from the house everything must be cleansed to restore them to purity (Kraemer, 2005). Judaism teaches that the body should be buried intact. This would deem cremation prohibited and autopsy is allowed only if the body is being used for medical benefit and saving the life of another (Ross, 1998). In some societies, a volunteer support group known as Cherva Kadisha help arrange the funeral, and attend to the other needs for the family mourning (Mintz, 2015). A Jewish funeral should be done as quickly as possible, it is often held at gravesite with the family of the deceased throwing dirt on the lowered coffin, and flowers are not present during the funeral because they symbolize life (Ross, 1998). During the funeral, the casket should not be open, exposing the body is considered disrespectful because it allows family and friends see the body in its helpless state (Lamm, 2000). Women are also encouraged to cry during the burial, to give the expression of sadness and to evoke remorse of those participating (Kraemer, 2005). This practice is used to express grief and a sense of closure when witnessing the burial of the deceased. This is a means of giving individuals a safe environment for them to express their