Next-of-kin often feel pressured to make hasty funeral arrangements. Most contact a funeral director and tee up a conventional service plus burial or cremation. But what are the other options?
With so many people grieving, the notion of doing so in public was seen as tasteless and vulgar. Funerals became smaller, people put on a brave face in public and fewer people wore black.
Egbe Jagunmolu obirin age group in their aso ebi for the Ojude Oba Festival in Southwest Nigeria. Samuel Alabi/AFP.
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Aso ebi - colourful fabrics worn at social events in NIgeria - makes parties glamorous but the cost can also be burdensome.
Students in a death and dying class have the opportunity to become a ‘death ambassador,’ in recognition of their new level of awareness that could help foster healthy conversations about death and dying.
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All of us face loss and the reality of our own mortality. Whether through in-person discussion or over social media, let’s build communities that support people navigating death and dying.
LifeGem is a company that extracts carbon from cremated human remains and transforms it into diamonds to remember loved ones.
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Diana Blaine, USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
For some people, the decision over how to dispose of their body represents one last adventure – and one last consumer choice, a scholar explains.
Hindu devotees prepare to scatter ashes of the deceased into the sea as part of Ngaben, a mass cremation ceremony, in Surabaya, Indonesia.
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Across cultures, death rituals give mourners a chance to grieve. But they also offer one last opportunity to help the deceased as they transition to the next stage of existence.
Kendall Roy (Jeremy Strong) delivers a eulogy for his father.
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Views on death and the afterlife vary from person to person and culture to culture. This course gives US Air Force cadets a broad perspective on mortality and its effects on people and society.
Members of the British royal family follow behind the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II as it is carried out of Westminster Abbey after her state funeral.
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As late as 1970, only about 5% of Americans chose to be cremated. In 2020, more than 56% Americans opted for it.
An art installation by Suzanne Brennan Firstenberg in remembrance of Americans who have died of COVID-19, near the Washington Monument in Washington, D.C.
AP Photo/Brynn Anderson
In trying to present violent events in ‘neutral’ language, media reports may be ignoring power imbalances when it comes to Israeli police or military violence against Palestinian civilians.
A man identified only as Viktor shows his neighbor’s grave in Bucha, Ukraine. It was too dangerous to go to the cemetery.
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Green burial is not a new concept, but it is gaining interest among consumers, and some religious groups are leading the way. A theologian explains what’s involved and who natural burials appeal to.
The negative impact of the pandemic on grief has raised concerns. Our study shows that 15 per cent of people dealing with grief are at risk of what’s known as complicated grief.
Many of the tombs in Japan are elaborately decorated. Nearby visitors can buy flowers, buckets. brooms and other gardening tools to tidy up the graves.
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In a Japanese tree burial, cremated remains are placed in the ground and a tree is planted over the ashes to mark the gravesite. Environmental responsibility is part of Buddhism.
Mass cremations in the city of Bengaluru, India, due to the large number of COVID-19 deaths.
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As cremation grounds struggle to keep up with the long line of people dying from COVID-19, age-old customs are being pushed aside.
A funeral director calls relatives of a COVID-19 victim for a virtual viewing before cremation on May 22, 2020 in New York City.
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Religious scholars and faith leaders reflect on the death rites cultures have developed to honor the deceased, comfort the living and share the burden of mourning.