Say Hello to the Dead

As people look for life and/or burial insurance, they may wonder how their passing into the new world will be handled.

Here in the U.S., funerals are typically rather mundane, with many people wanting simple services to celebrate their life and provide comfort for their loved ones.

If you do not have a life insurance and/or burial insurance plan in place, you should think about what you will want covered and how you can best protect your loved ones.

Now should you be from another part of the world, it's safe to say that your funeral could look a little different.

Let's look at a few examples of where funerals march to the tune of a different beat.

In the Tanatoraga area on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, things are a tad different than here in the States.

At the time of a local's death, their body is preserved and placed in the family residence for an unspecified amount of time as the loved ones make burial plans.

During this time, the dead may be propped up in chair at the dinner table with loved ones as if they were still with us. Visitors to the home are encouraged to "greet' the dead and ask for their permission when they can leave. Okay....sound a tad strange yet?

Next, prior to the burial of the individual, the service is orchestrated as if it was in a big arena-type venue. Mourners enjoy song and dance as buffaloes are sacrificed and reportedly transport the departed one's soul to heaven.

If this seems a little unusual, look at Tibet and its burial custom known as "sky burials.'

Three days following the death, the body is blessed, wrapped in a shroud, and transported to a burial site where "body breakers' that are known as "rogyapas' await the deceased.

At that time, the rogyapas cut up the body using hatchets and knives, then smash the bones and combine them with flour.

When all is said and done, the rogyapas move away from the body and thus the vultures carry away what is left, thereby leading to the term "sky burial.'