– Australia –

The culture of the people living in Australia when paying respect to the dead are as follows:

1. There is a tradition not to depict dead people or voice their (first) names. You would recall and
disturb their spirit. This law was adapted to images as well. Today, these strict laws are generally
not followed where colonization first happened, like on Australia's east coast and in the southern
parts of the country. In the Northern Territory, where traditional Aboriginal life is stronger and left
more intact, the tradition of not naming the dead is still more prevalent. Before media uses the first
name of a deceased Indigenous person they have to seek permission from the family. This is
because families and communities may sometimes decide that circumstances permit the names of
their deceased loved ones to be used. In some areas, families may determine that a substitute name
such as 'Kumantjayi', 'Kwementyaye', 'Kunmanara' or 'Barlang' may be used instead of a deceased
person's first name for a period. This is also known as a 'bereavement term'.

2. When Aboriginal people mourn the loss of a family member they follow Aboriginal death
ceremonies, or 'sorry business'. Sorry business is not only mourning a deceased person but also the
loss of family members due to imprisonment, drugs or alcohol. Ceremonies and mourning periods
last days, weeks, and even months but depending upon the beliefs of the language group and the
social status of the deceased person. Burials can also be delayed due to family disputes concerning
the origin of the person or the inheritance of their land and property.

3. Aboriginal children often can take time off school for the duration of the ceremonies, however if
their family receives any Government payments, such as Centrelink, they cannot stay away for
more than a week in order for the family not to lose their entitlement.

4. In Aboriginal society when somebody passes away, the family moves out of that house and another
move in. Families swap houses. Some families live in sorry camps some distance away.

The protocols of bereavement can include, but are not limited to the following:

a) Not using the name of a person who has passed away;

b) Not broadcasting the voice of a person who has passed away;
c) Family members remaining in their houses for a period of time when a death in the family has
occurred;
d) Restriction on participating in non-bereavement related activities or events;
e) Prohibition to depict the image of the deceased person.

– Argentina –
Argentina also has its own cultures upon respecting the dead. These are as follows:

1. When a family’s loved one passes away, one of the first things they do is plan the wake. They
want to have the viewing as soon as possible either at a funeral home or the deceased’s home.
 Family and friends of the deceased come and view the body, pay their respects, share stories, and
provide support. The deceased’s family may serve coffee for the guests, but there isn’t usually
food served at the wake.

2. An Argentinian funeral typically follows Catholic traditions, since 66% of Argentina’s population
is Catholic as of 2017. However, they bury the deceased as soon as possible; burial is more
common than cremation in Argentina. On the anniversary of their death, they hold another
Catholic mass to honor and remember their loved one. Argentinian people don’t forget their
ancestors, and often continue their ancestors’ traditions in their memory.

3. When children or babies pass away, they have a special ceremony called Velorio del Angelito,
meaning Little Angel’s Wake. There’s ritual dancing and singing to honor and remember the
children and babies who died too young. One of the most well-known Little Angel’s wake is the
story of Miguel Ángel Gaitán. He died of meningitis 15 days before his first birthday in 1967, and
his family buried him in an above-ground tomb. Seven years later, a storm destroyed his tomb.
His family tried to rebuild it four times, but it recollapsed each time during the night. The casket
lid also opened up and showed his well-preserved body. His family took this as a sign that he
didn’t want to be hidden anymore. They placed him in a casket with a glass lid and put him in a
public mausoleum for visitors to view his body. He’s considered a folk saint, and many people
come ask him for advice and bring him toys to play with as offerings.

– Chile –
In Chile, most Chileans are Catholic that is why a Chilean funeral service follows Catholic
traditions. These traditions in paying respect to the dead are as follows:

1. There is a wake and a church funeral service.

2. Similar to the traditions of Catholics, there is also a funeral procession with a hearse to the
cemetery.

3. Based from traditions, burial was the most common funeral arrangement, but now cremation is also
becoming popular. For burial, people mostly choose a traditional burial service, but some also
choose direct burial. And for cremation, families can choose to bury, keep, or scatter their loved
one’s ashes.

– France –
France also has different burial methods. These are cremation and burial.

A. Cremation
Cremation in France must be authorized by the mayor of the location of death. If the
desire for cremation is stated in a will or in a non-legal document such as letter written by the
 deceased, or if the closest family member requests cremation, approval for cremation is
granted. The cremation is usually held in the crematorium closest to the place of death, although
it may also take place in a different location. After cremation, the ashes are placed in an urn
provided by survivors of the deceased and it may be stored for one year before being scattered
in the town where the death of the deceased took place.

B. Burial

Burial without coffin in France is prohibited. The burial in a commune's cemetery is

authorized by the Mayor. It must take place from one to six days following the death. If there
is a problem meeting the burial deadline, the Departmental Prefect may issue a waiver. The
burial may be also organized by a funeral parlor or even the immediate family of the deceased.

– Norway –
VIKINGS IN NORWAY

Vikings made their bloody but brief mark on history hundreds of years ago through their nomadic
lifestyle and wild practices of raping, pillaging and conquering anything or anyone who crossed their path.
These nomads were often seen as savages as they traveled throughout Europe, but the Vikings held a high
regard for the life (and death) of their fellow Norsemen.

So how did they honor their dead? Nailing down the exact rituals of Viking funerals is difficult, as
they kept few written accounts of their lives and deaths, but thanks to a few remaining accounts, and
archaeological remains that have been found throughout much of Europe, it’s possible to resurrect some of
their funeral traditions.

Most Vikings were sent to the afterlife in one of two ways—cremation or burial.

A. Cremation - Cremation (often upon a funeral pyre) was particularly common among the
earliest Vikings, who were fiercely pagan and believed the fire’s smoke would help carry
the deceased to their afterlife. Once cremated, the remains also might be buried, usually in
an urn.
For both cremated remains and bodies, burial locations ranged widely, from
shallowly-dug graves (often used for women and children) to burial mounds that could
hold multiple bodies and groupings of mounds or “grave fields” that served much the same
role as cemeteries.
B. Burial - In Norse mythology, boats symbolized safe passage into the afterlife on the same
vessel that aided their travels in life, so they played a key role in funeral rites. Some grave
mounds were built to resemble ships, with stones used to outline the vessel’s shape. For
other high-ranked Norsemen, the honors went a step further, and they were buried with
their actual boats.
 But these types of elaborate boat funerals weren’t reserved for just men. One of
the most extravagant boat burials honored two women, who likely died around 834 A.D.
Known as the “Oseberg ship,” it’s one of the most well persevered Viking artifacts. While
the Vikings were known for the craftsmanship that went into their vessels in general, the
size and detail of the Oseberg was exceptional. Seventy feet long and nearly 17 feet wide,
the ship had 15 oars on each side, a pine mast more than 30 feet high, and was spacious
enough to fit 30 people.

But contrary to popular belief, funeral boats were rarely sent out to sea, likely
because the cost of building these legendary longboats was prohibitive. So it’s unlikely that
there were many ships that were set sail and then set ablaze by fiery arrows shot from the
shores.

Regardless of how the body was disposed of, a few rituals remained almost constant. The body was
draped in new clothes prepared specifically for the funeral, and a ceremony was held featuring songs,
chants, food and alcohol. Tributes and gifts, known as “grave goods” and usually of equal value to the
deceased’s status, were buried or burned along with the recipient. These goods ran the gamut, from weapons
to jewelry to slaves.

And according to a report based on accounts from the Middle Ages-traveler Ahmad ibn Fadlan,
one instance of the funeral of a Viking chieftain included a sacrificial female slave who was forced to drink
copious amounts of alcohol, with large amounts of alcohol, then raped by every man in the village as a
tribute to the deceased. From there, she was strangled with a rope, stabbed by a matriarch of the village
(known as the Angel of Death), then placed in the boat with her master and set on fire.

– New Zealand –
New Zealand also has its own historical practices that they do when paying respect to the dead.
They are as follows:

1. In the late 1800s and early 1900s most people died at home, cared for by family. In the 21st century
most people die in hospital or in a hospice (a place where the dying are cared for). Different cultures
and religions have particular traditions of what is said and done while someone is dying and after
they have died. For example, a dying Catholic may want to receive Holy Communion.

2. After death, bodies are usually laid out – cleaned, dressed and put in a coffin. In the past this was
usually done by a female relative, but it is now almost always done by a funeral director. In the
21st century bodies are usually embalmed – preserved with chemicals. Family and friends will
often go to a funeral home to view the body.

3. Tangihanga, Māori mourning rituals, last several days. Family and friends stay with the body
through the whole process, which usually takes place on a marae. Mourners may talk to the dead
person, pray, sing or just sit with them.
 4. Funerals are a way to farewell the person who has died. They are often held in churches, but may
also take place in the chapels of funeral homes, marae, community halls or gardens. Most funerals
are attended mainly by family and friends of the person who died. Others, often for public figures,
are larger. State funerals, such as that for mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, are televised and
attended by large numbers of people. Different cultures and religions have their own funeral
traditions and ceremonies.

5. Traditionally Māori would carefully wrap the tūpāpaku (dead body) in mats and cloaks
and farewell them on the marae. Tūpāpaku would be buried in a shallow grave or placed in caves
or the hollows of trees. Bodies would later be exhumed and the bones washed and
scraped. Mourning rituals were held on the marae and the remains buried in secret places.

6. European settlers began the first cemeteries in the late 1830s. From the 1840s local councils
established cemeteries, which were often divided into separate sections for different faiths, such as
Anglicans, Dissenters, Catholics and Jews. Different cultures have their own traditions about burial.
Some people prefer natural or eco-burials, where the body is not embalmed and is buried so it can
decompose more quickly.

7. Cremation is burning of the body, usually in a furnace at a crematorium. Ashes are given to family
members, who bury them, scatter them or keep them in a casket. The first cremation in New Zealand
took place in 1909. The method was more frequently used from the 1960s, and in the early 2010s
around 70% of bodies were cremated. Some religions do not allow cremation. Sometimes people
have their pets cremated after they have died.

8. Voluntary euthanasia is when a person suffering from an incurable disease asks someone to help
them die. Some people are in favor of euthanasia because they believe it gives people the right to
die with dignity and without pain. Those against euthanasia believe it devalues human
life. Euthanasia is illegal in New Zealand. In the 21st century a number of high profile court cases
highlighted issues relating to assisted dying. There were also attempts to make assisted dying legal
in certain circumstances.

REFERENCES

Advameg. (2019, November 19). France. Retrieved from Every Culture:

https://www.everyculture.com/Cr-Ga/France.html.

Angloinfo. (n.d.). Death and Dying in France. Retrieved from Angloinfo web site:
https://www.angloinfo.com/how-to/france/healthcare/death-dying.com

Common ground. (n.d.). Death and Sorry Business. Retrieved from Common Ground:
https://www.commonground.org.au/
Goldade, J. (2018, March 23). CULTURAL SPOTLIGHT: ARGENTINIAN FUNERAL TRADITIONS.
Retrieved from Frazer consultants: https://www.frazerconsultants.com/

Korff, J. (2019, October 2). Mourning an Aboriginal death. Retrieved from Creative Spirits:
https://www.creativespirits.info/

McManus, R., & Du Plessis, R. (2018, May 16). Death and Dying. Retrieved from Te Ara - the
Encyclopedia of New Zealand: https://teara.govt.nz/

Morgan, T. (2018, November 28). How Did The Vikings Honor Their Dead? Retrieved from History
Stories: https://www.history.com/