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Familial Death Rituals

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Familial Death Rituals
When a loved one or a close friend passes from our lives is initially a shock for us to comprehend. It is certainly natural to grieve and question what exactly happens after someone is deceased. Every culture has their own family death ritual that is practiced and carried on from their family for years. Some religions greatly respect the dead, and honoring them is extremely important to their family death rituals. In this essay, I will reveal my family death rituals that have traditionally been practiced over the years, and state the current death rituals that are still practiced today.
The Catholic religion beliefs was all I knew while growing up, and our family respected and always made time to attended a rosary and burial service for the person that has passed. Since Mexicans are incredibly family oriented, and to be involved of a loved one or close friend funeral is an important gesture to do in life. When someone in our family passes, we usually contact all family members and set up a proper burial service for them. The funeral process includes a rosary praying service the night before the burial, praying the rosary is a Mexican tradition and it includes the well-known prayers of the Apostles Creed, the Our Father (Lord's Prayer), the Hail Mary and the Glory Be (Williams). The rosary prayer is prayed with an open casket at a church, and then family members usually say some kind words of the person and the life he or she lived. Then, the following day everyone will meet at the cemetery for the burial service, and they are usually buried in the same area with other relatives that have passed. A short prayer is said then everyone gradually throw flowers and dirt on top of the casket to show their respects and it is their way in saying goodbye. Family and friends have a potluck celebration right after the burial service, usually at a relative’s house and during this time everyone socializes and eats, just like people do at a party. Now that I am grown times have changed, I gained a different perceptions of the Catholic death ritual. My mother had always told me she wanted to be cremated, and now that her sister passed my Aunt was cremated, she is confident that is the death ritual she wants to practice. My aunt was the first family member that was cremated, and I’m not sure how I feel about it. I have been accustomed to the burial ritual that I’m not sure if I want to be buried or burned to ashes. I guess it is a subject I have not yet contemplated about, my husband has mentioned that he wants to be cremated and have his ashes thrown in the ocean. In addition, he wants to have a huge party in the remembrance of his life, rather than having a service in respecting and honoring the dead like the death ritual I have always practiced.
In Conclusion, I discussed my family death rituals that have traditionally been practiced over the years, and state the current death rituals that are still practiced today.

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