Death and taxes may be the two inevitable things in life, but increasingly the former is now celebrated rather than mourned More and more loved ones are holding celebrations of life instead of...
Our association with Halloween is one of costumes and ghost stories, sweets and trick or treat However, the religious roots of this now commercial enterprise can be found as far back as the...
Many of the islands of the Pacific have maintained a strong connection to their cultural religious beliefs, despite the historical influence of many Christian missions In Papua New Guinea, when a...
The stars have fascinated mankind since the dawn of history, and many of the most ancient funeral rites take the movement of heavenly bodies into account However it’s only very recently that it’s...
According to archaeological evidence, funeral rites were one of the very first elements of human culture to emerge Funeral rites can be found in every culture, both ancient and contemporary, although...
Often referred to as one of the most spectacular and interesting Balinese ceremonies, the “Ngaben,” or cremation, is a religious rite of Hindu descent, although it’s quite a bit different to...
The Zoroastrians believe that death is evil triumphing over good and, once the body is dead, demons have the ability to contaminate the corpse As the bodies could pollute everything due to their...
Over one thousand years ago a priest known as Kuukai founded the Buddhist sect of Shingon in Northern Japan Based on the sect’s belief that physical punishment was the path to enlightenment, the...
The beliefs and rituals of the Australian Aboriginal peoples vary from tribe to tribe, region to region, all loosely pertaining to their concept of the cosmos and afterlife, known as “The...
This is the first article in a new blog series brought to you by Sussex Funeral Services exploring funeral rites and rituals around the world Join us as we look into how different peoples both...
