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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.

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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.




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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
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