Funeral customs 'each tree has its own flower, each family has its own situation'

In many cultures, burial is a custom that the body is buried in the ground. This is a custom that dates back to ancient times, and burial sites can be found all over the world . These are usually mounds, caves, or temples used to preserve the remains of ancestors. Today, the custom of burying the dead in the ground with a stone tablet to indicate the burial place is very common, however, the direction in which the dead are placed varies.

Tourists visit a cemetery in Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandy (France)

According to Wikipedia , in the Sahara, for Muslim cemeteries, all graves face the desert, perpendicular to Mecca, a city located on the western edge of present-day Saudi Arabia. Facing Mecca (or Makkah) is the direction of the birthplace of the Prophet Muhammad, the center of the development of Islamic faith and practice.

In ancient cultures, such as Chaldea, a state in Mesopotamia from around the 10th century BC, tombs were placed in a number of different positions, with the dead body's arms crossed in the shape of an "X" (symbolizing their sky god). Later ancient Egyptian gods and royalty, from around 3,500 BC, also lay in the crossed-arms position, and depending on the dynasty, mummies had their arms crossed in higher or lower positions.

Burial position

The body is usually laid flat, with the arms and legs straight or crossed over the chest, the eyes closed, and the mouth closed. The legs may be spread out in a supine or prone position. However, in some cultures, face-down burial is a clear sign of disrespect, such as the Sioux, Native American and North American tribes. However, some tribes place the body in a flexed position, with the legs bent or folded over the body. Warriors in some ancient societies often buried their dead upright.

Room in the tomb of King Tutankhamun, Luxor, Egypt

A cemetery in Goa Velha, India

In Islam, the body is laid out on its back, with the arms at its sides, the head turned to the right, facing the mosque in Mecca. Christians bury their dead in an east-west orientation, with the head facing west. This mirrors the layout of Christian churches, and for the same reason; to see the coming of Christ on the Day of Judgment (Eschaton). In many Christian traditions, ordained clergy are buried upside down, with their coffins facing the same direction, so that on Easter they can rise and be ready to serve their people.

For humans, maintaining an upright, upside-down position with the head down and the feet up for a long period of time is very uncomfortable, so such burials are considered abnormal, as opposed to resting. Generally, only murderers or suicides are buried upside down, as a post-mortem punishment. This is similar to burials at crossroads, which are intended to inhibit the activity of the undead.

In non-standard burial practices, such as mass burials, bodies may be positioned arbitrarily. This may be a sign of disrespect for the deceased, or at least inhuman indifference, or due to considerations of time and space when burying.

Burial etiquette in Vietnam

There are many forms of burial in our country, depending on regional culture, ethnic groups and religions. Usually, the direction of the tombstone is under the feet of the deceased. In terms of feng shui, experts say that the direction of burial of the deceased is often based on age, destiny, and feng shui of the eight houses.

Vividly painted wooden tombstones at the Merry Cemetery, a famous landmark in Sapanta, Romania

Sebastian (stock.adobe.com)

For example, in some places, customs dictate that deceased people born in the years of Than, Ty, Thin should choose the East and West (good directions), while the South is a bad direction; deceased people born in the years of Ty, Dau, Suu should choose the South and North (good directions), while the East is a bad direction. Deceased people belonging to the West Four Destiny should choose the West, Southwest, North, Northeast directions (belonging to the West Four Houses direction), if belonging to the East Four Destiny, they should choose the North, East, Southeast, South directions (belonging to the East Four Houses direction)...

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