All Hallows Eve, Día de Muertos whatever you call it Halloween is all about honoring our Dead.
Suttee
My person favorite, Suttee is the Hundu custom of widows throwing themselves onto their husband’s funeral pyre. In the act they become a Sati or “Good Woman” or “Chaste Wife”. Linked to the myth of the Hindu goddess Sati, who burned herself to death in a fire that she created through her yogic powers after her father insulted her husband, the god Shiva—but in this myth Shiva remains alive and avenges Sati’s death. While banned in 1879 modern examples continue.
Catholics hold Wakes for the Dearly Deceased. This tradition stems from a history of supposedly dead people waking up. Gramma is dead so let’s throw a party with her in attendance. Traditionally the body was placed on the dining table and the party proceeded until death was confirmed. Sometimes this went on for a week.
A trend is emerging where the dead are attending their “Wake” in style.
Charleston S.C.- On April 18th, 2004 thousands of men in Confederate gray and Union blue, and women in black hoop skirts and veils, escorted the crew of the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley, the first sub in history to sink an enemy warship, to its final resting place.
The funeral was held with meticulous historic details. From the horse drawn caissons and the Confederate flags flying, the seven man crew were laid to rest in period caskets and ceremony that they would have recognized.
The monk Luong Pordaeng died in 1973 in a seated meditative position, and ever since his body has been on display in an upright glass case at the Wat Khunaram temple in Thailand. When the eye balls fell out of his skull, fellow monks donated a pair of Ray Bans.
