Tibetan sky burial
In Tibetan Buddhist culture, there is a tradition called sky burial, in which the body is placed at a designated site, such as a mountaintop, and left to be naturally consumed by vultures. It reflects the Buddhist concept of impermanence β the idea that the body is merely an empty shell once the soul has departed β along with the spirit of giving to other beings even at life's final moment. There are also said to be practical reasons behind it, given the highland terrain, where digging into the ground is difficult.
Ghana's fantasy coffins
Among the Ga people of Ghana, funerals are held using elaborate, distinctive coffins shaped like a fish, car, airplane, shoe, or other object symbolizing something the deceased loved or their profession in life. Rather than treating death purely as an occasion for sorrow, this practice carries the meaning of commemorating and celebrating the deceased's life.
New Orleans jazz funerals in the United States
In New Orleans, where African American and Creole traditions blend together, a distinctive funeral custom continues in which a slow, solemn dirge is played on the way to the burial site, followed by a lively jazz march celebrating the deceased's life on the way back after the funeral.
The lengthy funerals of the Toraja people in Indonesia
The Toraja people of Sulawesi Island do not hold a funeral immediately after death; instead, they keep the body at home for anywhere from several months to several years until funeral costs and preparations are complete, then hold an elaborate funeral (Rambu Solo) in which water buffalo are sacrificed. It is also known that they continue a ritual called "Ma'nene" every few years afterward, in which ancestors' mummified remains are brought out and dressed in new clothes.
The Jewish tradition of prompt burial
Jewish tradition prohibits cremation and, as a rule, calls for burial in a simple wooden coffin as quickly as possible (traditionally within 24 hours of death). After the funeral, close family observe a mourning period called "shiva," staying home for seven days to receive visitors offering condolences.
Korea's traditional bier procession culture
In the past, the common funeral custom in Korea was for the village community to jointly carry the funeral bier while singing a mournful dirge and walking together to the burial site. Today, this has largely shifted toward funeral homes and cremation-centered procedures, but traditional bier processions can still be seen reenacted at certain local festivals or folk villages.
Viking ship burials
Archaeological excavations confirm that ancient Scandinavia had a "ship burial" custom, in which a high-status person who had died was placed in a ship to be either buried in the ground or set ablaze and sent off. The ship was believed to symbolize the journey to the afterlife.