Skip to main content
header search
ahihi OpenLearn
OpenLearn
Menu
sticky search
Author: Erica Seruset Borgstrom

Death around the world

Updated Friday, 3 November 2023

Although we all die, how we mark the end of a life varies between places and cultures. This article and associated animation explores different customs and traditions that people around the world perform in relation to death.

Find out more about The Open University's Health and Social Care courses and qualifications.

Rituals can be an incredibly important feature of what happens after someone dies. There are often specific rituals – rites, ceremonies, or practices – and actions that are performed to mark the death. Some are designed to help the departed in their transition between the humanly world and the afterlife. Some rituals can help reduce the anxiety or distress of the bereaved, giving them something to focus on and a way to connect with those around them. And whilst we may often think of rituals as being ‘traditionally’, many are constantly evolving and are shaped by shifting cultural values and technology.  

So, which country has professional mourners and where were funerals live-streamed before the practice became so popular during the Covid pandemic? You can find out more in this short cartoon, where Dr. Erica Borgstrom explores some of the different customs and traditions that people throughout the world perform in relation to the end of life.




PDF document Transcript 17.9 KB

Find out more

  • An introduction to death, dying and grief

    Explore interesting and challenging ideas around death, dying and grief. This free course, An introduction to death, dying and grief, invites you to think more deeply about death and dying and encourages you to think about it in different ways. This course will introduce you to different perspectives on death; ethical issues related to dying and...

    Learn more to access more details of An introduction to death, dying and grief
    An introduction to death, dying and grief

  • Death and medicine: postponement and promise

    This free course, Death and medicine: postponement and promise, helps you to explore the extent to which death and dying in western societies are medical events and what aspects of death and dying might be neglected as a consequence. The course covers the way that such things as medicine provide the context of the experiences associated with the...

    Learn more to access more details of Death and medicine: postponement and promise
    Death and medicine: postponement and promise

  • Beyond belief: talking to the dead

    Are paranormal experiences real? Can being 'spiritual' help with the way you feel about death, dying and grief? This film interactive delves into spiritual healing and your views on life after death...

    Take part now to access more details of Beyond belief: talking to the dead
    Beyond belief: talking to the dead
 

Become an OU student

Author

Ratings & Comments

Share this free course

Also in Centre for Open Thanatology Hub

Ordinary dying and the Queen: Reflections on a case study article icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Ordinary dying and the Queen: Reflections on a case study

Was the late Queen Elizabeth’s death an example of ‘ordinary dying’? This article examines what it means and what this case study reveals.

Article
5 mins
Narratives of COVID video icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Narratives of COVID

The Pandemic has brought losses, death, and changes to everyday life on a global scale. At The Open University, we reached out to students, staff and alumni to hear about their experiences.

Video
5 mins
Beyond belief: talking to the dead activity icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Beyond belief: talking to the dead

Are paranormal experiences real? Can being 'spiritual' help with the way you feel about death, dying and grief? This film interactive delves into spiritual healing and your views on life after death...

Activity
20 mins
Grief during COVID-19: supporting our colleagues to return to work and thrive following loss article icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Grief during COVID-19: supporting our colleagues to return to work and thrive following loss

Even if we have been fortunate enough not to experience loss ourselves during this pandemic, there may be colleagues who have. So, how can we support grieving colleagues during these challenging times? 

Article
10 mins
‘Life’s good – it’s the disease that’s the problem’: supporting someone living with a terminal diagnosis article icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

‘Life’s good – it’s the disease that’s the problem’: supporting someone living with a terminal diagnosis

What is it like supporting someone who knows they have a life-limiting diagnosis? You might think it is depressing or incredibly difficult. While it can be hard, there is still scope for joy and love. In this article, Hazel Carter shares her experience of what it was like after her husband, Alan, was diagnosed with motor neurone disease (MND).

Article
5 mins
Death and medicine: postponement and promise free course icon level 2: intermediate icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Death and medicine: postponement and promise

This free course, Death and medicine: postponement and promise, helps you to explore the extent to which death and dying in western societies are medical events and what aspects of death and dying might be neglected as a consequence. The course covers the way that such things as medicine provide the context of the experiences associated with the...

Free course
1 hr
Grief and the body: mourning in ancient Rome article icon

History & The Arts

Grief and the body: mourning in ancient Rome

In Ancient Rome was physically violent mourning seen as a true manifestation of the mourners’ grief, or was the bodily expression a performance?

Article
5 mins
Walking the walk: improving death and dying spaces article icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Walking the walk: improving death and dying spaces

Have you ever considered how the location and spaces in end-of-life care impact on a carer’s experience? Let's look at how attention to detail can make a huge difference.

Article
5 mins
Early widowhood: navigating a way through grief article icon

Health, Sports & Psychology

Early widowhood: navigating a way through grief

You or someone else you know may be experiencing grief as a widow or widower and finding a way to cope through loss. In this article, Hazel Carter, who cared for her husband through motor neurone disease to the end of his life, describes her experience of grief and becoming a widow and about her thought-provoking insight into her journey from ...

Article
5 mins

Copyright information

Skip Rate and Review

Rate and Review

For further information, take a look at our frequently asked questions which may give you the support you need.

Have a question?

Share this video