Funeral

Interment of the dead is also a common ceremony. Note that funerals don't have to be solemn affairs; all this depends on what the culture thinks happens to the departed spirit and how the culture feels about it. The funeral could be a time of mourning, a cheerful celebration of the departed person's life, a drinking-binge so that the mourners can forget their grief, and so on.

In any case, the ceremony can have several parts.

There is the Wake, which takes place before the funeral, where participants sit overnight with the body, exchange stories of the dead person's deeds, and (in some settings) protect the body from violation at the hands of evil spirits, who might try to inhabit and reanimate it, or to steal the not-yet-departed soul.

There is the Farewell, where the participants speak to the corpse of the departed and wish him well on his voyage; often, they present him with small gifts and tokens of their friendship.

There is the Interment, where the body is laid to rest, usually with the presents and a variety of the person's belongings. In some cultures of a type we consider cruel, the person's slaves and perhaps even his wife will also be laid to rest, even if they aren't dead yet. (Alternatively, the body may be burned, again depending on the culture's views.)

There is the Commemoration, where the mourners exchange stories of the dead person; this could be a very solemn or a very merry event. In any case, it's likely to accompany a feast for the weary, hungry mourners and participants.

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