How long does it take to bury someone in Ghana?

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Before mortuaries became popular in this country, we buried our dead within two to three days and then set a date for the final funeral rites. Now the regular period in which a dead body is kept in the mortuary before being buried ranges from three to six months.

What happens at a Ghanaian funeral?

Mourners, usually dressed in black or black and red traditional funeral clothing, may travel to other towns or villages, and in turn they expect the bereaved families to provide food, drinks, music and dance. The extravagance also extends to the caskets.

What do Ghanaians do when someone dies?

When there’s a death, Ghanaians tend to announce the passing formally with a written letter or email bulletin. Funeral services usually take place in several stages over the course of a week or more. The main festivities take place in the morning on a Saturday, after the burial, and they can last all day.

How long do Ghana funerals last?

seven days
Ghana’s lavish funerals can last up to seven days.

Why do people do expensive funerals in Ghana?

High cost of preparation The corpse is preserved in the mortuary for a number of days, sometimes weeks and months. The cost of food and drinks bought is very high and above all the price of coffin bought is very expensive. This creates the situation where huge sums of money are spent on the funeral.

What do you wear to an African funeral?

Attire for African funerals is very formal, with many people opting to buy new clothes and shoes or wearing their Sunday church outfits. Women tend to prefer all black, possibly with a dash of white or red, while men wear black or navy suits. The wearing of either a black, blue or white shirt with a suit is acceptable.

How much should I give for Bai Jin?

Condolence donations, commonly known as pek kim, or bai jin, are also given in odd configurations. A minimum sum of $30 is quite commonly the minimum amount to be offered in Singapore. More can be donated depending on a visitor’s financial situation and degree of closeness to the family.

What are some traditions in Ghana?

12 Traditions and Customs Only Ghanaians Can Understand

The handshake.
‘You are invited’
The left-handed insult.
No music before Homowo.
The Ghanaian salad.
Inventing new words.
Neon-pink chickens.
Keeping the dead.

What is funeral in Twi?

noun. ayie. me ne me papa rekɔ ayie | I and my dad are going to a funeral. mehyiaa me yere wɔ ayie ase | I met my wife at a funeral (ground)

Is it OK to wear jeans to a funeral?

Bottom line: jeans are not appropriate for a funeral. Unless the family requests them, you should avoid wearing denim to a funeral. However, if it’s a casual, outdoor service, you can consider a dark (almost black denim) paired with a button-down shirt and blazer.

Can you show cleavage at a funeral?

Flip-flops, tank tops, shorts, sundresses, casual tennis shoes and cleavage are not appropriate. Even though the service may be a celebration of life, many of those attending will be mourning. Your goal is to blend in, not be conspicuous.

What is the color of mourning in Africa?

At this time, the family prepares the necessary foods and begins the period of formal mourning. They will often wear special clothing and cut, or change, their hairstyle. While black is the traditional color worn by mourners in the United States, red and white are more commonly seen at funerals in Africa.

What is Bai Jin called in English?

It is a tradition that has been practiced for a long time. The Chinese call such contributions ‘pek kim’ or ‘bai jin’, which translates to ‘white gold’. As opposed to red packets, which are in vibrant celebratory colours, the white of ‘bai jin’ is a colour used for mourning.

What happens at a Ghanaian funeral service?

Ghanaian funerals don’t only take place in Africa. Thriving Ghanaian immigrant communities have brought West African funeral rites to the United States, too. As in Ghana itself, American-Ghanaian funeral services begin with an announcement of the death to relatives and friends.

What to do when you see an obituary in a Ghanaian newspaper?

So the next time you see an obituary notice in a Ghanaian newspaper, you better be appreciative of the amount of work that went into drawing it up to ensure no offence has been caused and family feuds have not been started or old ones rekindled.

How do Ghanaians celebrate death anniversaries?

In many villages, there are multiple funerals held each week on the same Saturday. But Ghanaians observe several other days of mourning, which take place on death anniversaries. The primary of these days is one week after the person’s death. For at least one week following a death, the family will store and prepare the body for burial.

How long does it take to bury someone in Ghana?