CULTURE

6 Burial Traditions From Around the World You May Not Know

Almost every culture on earth has had a tradition for honoring their dead relatives and helping them pass into the afterlife or assuage their spirit.

Here are six burial traditions from different cultures around the world you probably haven’t heard of.

Sky Burial (Tibet)

Sky burials are when the deceased’s body is left high in the mountains to decompose and become nutrients for animals, often vultures.

From Ash to Bead (South Korea)

Instead of burying your deceased relative, some South Koreans prefer having their relatives cremated and turned into tiny decorative beads by different cremation businesses.

Famadihana (Madagascar)

Every five to seven years, family members will open their ancestral tombs and remove the wrapped bodies of their past relatives. Then they are rewrapped in new, expensive silk.

The Ultimate Sacrifice (Hindu)

Sati is based on a religious story of a goddess by the same name. The act of Sati is somewhat similar in that a woman will throw herself onto her deceased husband’s funeral pyre.

Secret Cave Burials (Hawaii)

When the relative passed away, the body would be cleaned with salt water. The family would be careful not to make noises to avoid disturbing the spirit.

Jade Burial Suits (China)

These suits were made from square, or rectangular pieces of jade joined together by string. The type of string used showed just how important the person in the suit was.

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