What do Ghanaians do when someone dies?

What do Ghanaians do when someone dies?

When there’s a death, Ghanaians tend to announce the passing formally with a written letter or email bulletin. Funeral services usually take place in several stages over the course of a week or more. The main festivities take place in the morning on a Saturday, after the burial, and they can last all day.

How death rites are performed in Ghana?

Some churches take the coffin containing the body to the church, but others do everything at the place the body is being laid in state. During the service, biographies and tributes are read to the people present. After the service, they take the body to the graveyard and bury it. All cries and mourning end there.

How long do funerals last in Ghana?

seven days
Now, a centuries-old tradition has gone online. Funerals are a big deal in Ghana and it is not uncommon, in some parts, for a ceremony to last up to seven days, drawing thousands of crowds adorned in flowing red and black robes and gold jewelry.

How much does a Ghanaian funeral cost?

Burial/Cremation in Ghana Preparation of remains and burial of the deceased in Accra including mortuary fees, space for burial, transportation, documentation and labor = $4,000- $5000 (depending on input).

Why do Ghanaians wear black to funerals?

In Ghana, the wearing of black and red attire for funeral ceremonies culturally signifies a grieving period. Traditionally, red is associated with danger and black with grief, hence the use of these colors to communicate the passing of a loved one.

What do you wear to an African funeral?

Attire for African funerals is very formal, with many people opting to buy new clothes and shoes or wearing their Sunday church outfits. Women tend to prefer all black, possibly with a dash of white or red, while men wear black or navy suits. The wearing of either a black, blue or white shirt with a suit is acceptable.

How is death a rite of passage?

Death is a Rite of Passage that brings a family of initiatory emotions: grief, anger, terror, rage, disappointment, sadness. But of all these, Grandmother Grief leads the way. She calls forth an Initiation that renews, heals and cleanses our souls.

What is the cheapest way to have a funeral?

A funeral home’s least expensive option is a direct burial, in which the body is buried soon after death, with no embalming or visitation.

• A Federal Trade Commission pamphlet says:
• Cremation can be a cheaper alternative to burial.
• Only a couple dozen “natural burial grounds” around the country accept shrouded bodies.

What is difference between coffin and Casket?

The Coffin Unlike caskets, coffins have six sides to them instead of four. Plus, the top of the coffin is wider than its bottom. Coffins get tapered to conform to the shape of a human form. A coffin also has a removable lid while caskets have lids with hinges.

Why do Ghanaians wear red for funerals?

Culturally, the black and red attire for funeral ceremonies in Ghana signifies a grieving period. Traditionally, red is associated with danger and black with grief, hence the use of these colors to communicate the passing of a loved one.

Is death celebrated in Ghana?

Funerals in Ghana are meant to both celebrate the life of the deceased and show the success of the family because a flamboyant funeral carries more social prestige than any other ceremony. The social pressure to hold an impressive funeral proves hard to resist in the Ghanaian society.

What is the color of mourning in Africa?

At this time, the family prepares the necessary foods and begins the period of formal mourning. They will often wear special clothing and cut, or change, their hairstyle. While black is the traditional color worn by mourners in the United States, red and white are more commonly seen at funerals in Africa.

Where does a Ghanaian Royal go after death?

For most royal families in Ghana, the belief is that a royal is expected to continue his or her reign in the spirit world after death. Owing to this concept, the addition of gifts of remembrance and things that might come in handy for the departed soul is placed in their coffins or tombs.

Can a Ghanaian funeral take place in the US?

Ghanaian funerals don’t only take place in Africa. Thriving Ghanaian immigrant communities have brought West African funeral rites to the United States, too. As in Ghana itself, American-Ghanaian funeral services begin with an announcement of the death to relatives and friends.

When do Ghanaians celebrate the day of mourning?

But Ghanaians observe several other days of mourning, which take place on death anniversaries. The primary of these days is one week after the person’s death. For at least one week following a death, the family will store and prepare the body for burial.

What do people wear to a funeral in Ghana?

In Ghana, the traditional dress color for mourning the dead is black and in certain cases red or brown. The wearing of the black dress is very normal to every traditional home where funerals occur, in some rare cases, the dress code for a funeral is white or some other color.