Death Rituals in the Family - Essay Example

I have seen that the death rituals have remained the same over the years. These have comprised the gathering of near and dear ones to make sure that the affected family feels that they are not alone in their tough times (Gilbert, 2011). The close family members and friends come up and meet the concerned family and tell them what they thought of the deceased individual. They showcase how good or strong the person who had passed away.

It implicates empathy on their part that they understand the situation and are ready to be a part of the death rituals that the family is undertaking at the present. I believe these death rituals will almost be impossible to change as time moves ahead. This has been seen in the recent past when one of my dearest aunties died. We exhibited the same death rituals that were present at the time of my niece’s passing away some 4 years back. The death rituals did not change at all, and this strengthened my belief that the same steps and processes were going to be followed whenever someone is going to pass away in the family.

However, there would be minor amendments within the death rituals as and when required but on the whole, the basic agenda would more or less be what I experienced at the time of my aunt’s death. She was close to us and we loved her dearly. I noticed that nearly all the women in the family wore white clothes to pay homage to the aunt’s soul (Hazan, 2004). They sat together and spoke at length about her qualities and the manner in which she used to help people around her. This was quite an enlightening experience for me since I learned that the best way to pay respects was to talk about the deceased rather than the worldly events that people usually talk about.

The death rituals in my family will always change as and when there is a need but the bottom line remains the same – there is immense respect for the person who has died so that his/her soul rests in peace. I am confident that with the advent of time, many rituals will be added as there is a need but for now these death rituals are locked upon by my family and will continue to be so until the next generation takes over the mantle of the family.