Death Rituals

Death Rituals: 

Africa: One death ritual recognized by African cultures is one in which they believe that only a correct burial will bring peace to the newly departed. In this ritual the family of the recently departed will begin by moving the body through a hole that was made in the side of the home. The people then take the body out through this hole, and make sure that they remove the body feet first in order to keep the spirit from finding an easy way back into the home. When they get the body to the destination where it is going to be buried, the people place thorns and sticks along the path that they took in order to cover it up, and confuse the spirit. The people take these precautions in order to keep the spirit from disturbing the living, while others try and make it easier for their loved ones spirits to find their way back. In this culture it is also common to sacrifice an animal along with the person who just recently passed to help escort them to the land of their ancestors. It is believed that no one truly dies until there is no one left to remember them. 

Jewish: In Jewish cultures the way that they perform their rituals is based upon their families customs, but most rituals are based upon events from the bible. When a person passes away in a Jewish culture, the family and friends of that person are expected to not leave that person alone, until they are taken to be buried. In this culture, when news of the person passing is heard, the Jewish people tear off a piece of their clothing. This process is called "rendering", and it symbolizes the loss that they are going through. Sometimes this act isn't performed until the actual funeral is held. During the preparation for their burial, men and woman's bodies are prepared differently. Men are wrapped in their prayer shawl, while women are wrapped in white. 

Similarities & Differences: Both cultures share the fact that family members or close friends prepare the body for the burial, and these people are the ones to get things ready. The differences between the African culture and Jewish culture are much more evident. The way that each culture goes about preparing the bodies,and the measures they take show how different that they are. In the African culture, they heavily believe in spirits, and making sure the newly departed doesn't disturb the living, while in the Jewish culture, they are more concerned about performing traditional customs and simply just burying and purifying the body.Each culture has a unique way of honoring and preparing the recently departed.  These differences show how each culture has its own distinct things about them, and it shows how the African culture is more spiritually based, and how the Jewish culture follows more of what has always been done.