Changing culture of mourning: discovering farewell rituals in Rhineland-Palatinate

Changing culture of mourning: discovering farewell rituals in Rhineland-Palatinate

In today's fast-paced world, in which dealing with death is often pushed out of everyday life, rituals take on central importance. In part B of her video series on mourning culture, Anja Schrock looks at the diverse cultural and religious rituals that accompany people when they say goodbye. She met with the renowned philosopher and grief expert Dr. Mathias Jung sat down for an in-depth conversation to explore how different cultures deal with grief. Ben Courier reports that Jung quotes, among others, Hermann Hesse, who once said that the deceased live on in their memories. This idea highlights how important remembering is to the process of coping with grief.

“Remembering gives form to loss,” explains Jung. This is done through images, objects and places of remembrance that maintain the connection to the deceased beyond death. Many cultures have developed special rituals to deal with loss and mourn. Undertaker Atlas highlights that grief is not only a personal feeling, but also a social process that brings communities together and promotes community building.

Cultural diversity of mourning rituals

The variety of mourning rituals is so great that different cultures often find very different ways to process their pain. Funeral rituals can vary between solemn occasions, such as Día de los Muertos in Mexico, and more quiet funeral ceremonies, such as those in many European countries. Mymoria describes how celebratory funerals often take place in Africa, while in many Asian countries mourning is often expressed through songs or dances.

The special customs surrounding death in different cultures are particularly interesting. In Egypt, where mourners loudly mourned death in ancient times, the expression of mourning has changed greatly due to the influence of Islam. Loud lamentation is now seen as doubt about God's decision. Instead, the deceased is washed, wrapped in a white cloth and buried in Mecca.

In Ireland, as the local mayor of Dausenau, Michelle Wittler, reports, death is understood as part of life. The Irish hospice culture is perceived very positively here, as families are actively involved in the dying process. Such cultural approaches promote acceptance of death and can serve as a model for other societies.

Musical accompaniment and individual farewell

The musical design of farewells plays an important role and ranges from rock sounds to classical or religious songs. This reflects the personal tastes of the deceased and their relatives. The legal changes in funeral law in Germany, especially in Rhineland-Palatinate, also show a successful adaptation to the needs of mourners. The abolition of the coffin requirement has paved the way for alternative forms of burial that enable a more individual farewell.

This means that more and more people are looking forward to creative forms of burial, be it in a cemetery, in a river or in the form of ecological humus burials. This diversity shows the desire for a personal and meaningful farewell. Dr. In the conversation, Jung points out that rituals support the work of mourning by keeping the deceased present and at the same time giving structure to the loss.

In the coming episodes of Schrock's series, the exciting question will be raised: Which rituals help? What forms of commemoration provide support? Viewers are invited to reflect on their thoughts and memories about death and grief in order to find new ways of remembering and commemorating together.