mourning customs

". . . combines simple, poetic text with a "big idea"--in this case, the idea that death is a natural part of our lives and that many species experience sadness and mourning when their loved ones are sick and dying. From elephants to killer whales, parrots to bonobos, lemurs to humans, many animals have rituals to commemorate their loved ones and to help them through difficult times"--Provided by publisher.

While death is a universal experience, the traditions that surround it differ from culture to culture. How should the body of the deceased be laid to rest? What should be done with his or her belongings? How can a person's legacy live on through traditions and keepsakes? This volume explores practices around the world, addressing the practical and spiritual considerations that come with death and encouraging readers to keep an open mind toward the rituals and beliefs of other cultures and turn a critical eye toward their own.

"Aliki is one of the last of her kind, a lamenter who mourns and celebrates the passing of life. She is a part of an evolving Greece, a country moving steadily away from its rural traditions. To capture the fading folk art of lamenting, an American researcher asks Aliki to record her laments, but in response, Aliki sings her own story. It begins in a village in northeast Greece, where Aliki witnesses the occupying Nazi soldiers execute her father forstealing a squash. Taken in by her friend Takis's mother, Aliki is joined by a Jewish refugee and her son, Stelios. When the village is torched and its people massacred, Aliki, Takis and Stelios are able to excape just as the war is ending. Fleeing across the chaotic landscape of a postwar Greece, the three become a makeshift family."--Dust jacket.

Describes how people from different cultures and religions mark a person's death.

Relates the ancient roots of various funeral rituals and describes how customs related to death are observed in different countries and by different cultures around the world. Includes recipes and an activity.

Presents details about Queen Victoria's marriage, the death of Prince Albert, and the queen's reaction to the loss.

Introduces the rites and rituals surrounding death in the six major world religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

Draws on literature, history, poetry, and societal practices to explore how people in the modern world cope with death and grief.

Explains different customs of dealing with death and remembering the dead, such as funerals, burials, cremation, mourning, wills, and memorials.