Superstition

The body of the deceased must be washed carefully, dusted with talcum powder and clothed in the best clothes from his personal belongings. All the other personal belongings and clothes are either placed inside the coffin together with the body or burnt. the person is usually dressed in dull colours like black, blue or brown but never in red as this is believed to cause the corpse to become a ghost.

While bodies of the deceased need proper preparation, so do the home for the funeral rituals. All statues of deities in the home are covered with red paper and all mirrors are removed from sight. The reason for this is so that no one sees the reflection of the coffin in a mirror. It is believed that if you do see a coffin in a mirror, you will have a death within your own family soon.

A white cloth is normally hung in the doorway of the home and a gong is placed outside the door. If a male has passed, it is placed on the left side of the doorway and vice-versa.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS