By Dmitri KesselLIFE Photo Collection
Connecting to Dead
Throughout history, humans have sought to honor and speak to the dead. Many cultures, past and present, hold festivals to venerate their family and friends who have passed on.
Page from the Book of the Dead of Hunefer (-1285/-1285)British Museum
The Wag Festival
Such traditions date all the way back to the ancient Egyptians, who celebrated the Wag festival. Dedicated to Osiris, the god of the dead, afterlife, and resurrection, the festival honored those who passed on.
A feast for Nebamun, the top half of a scene from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun (-1370/-1370)British Museum
Afterlife Journey
During the festival, people would construct papyrus boats and put them on the graves of loved ones facing West, or float papyrus shrines down the Nile River, symbolizing their journey to the afterlife.
The Ghost Festival
Paper offerings are also an important part of Ghost Festival in East Asia, also known as the Zhongyuan Festival in Taoism and Yulanpen Festival in Buddhism. This is a full month when the souls of the dead are free to roam the Earth.
Closing the Doors of Hell
People make offerings, including burning paper money and food, to appease and show respect to the dead. At the end of the festival, boats or lanterns are set afloat in the water to guide spirits back as the doors of hell close behind them.
Seung Moon Street, Canton (about 1870) by Chan, A.The J. Paul Getty Museum
Rules for Survival
During this festival, there are important rules to remember to keep yourself safe from menacing ghosts including: don’t take pictures at night, don’t touch another person’s shoulder, and don’t wear red or black.
Perilous Time
People also avoid making big life changes during this month, so avoid getting married, buying new cars, or moving houses.
The Obon Festival
Also known as the Bon festival, this Japanese Buddhist celebration commemorates dead ancestors. Families gather together and hang lanterns to guide the spirits home to visit their families.
Bon Odori
As part of the traditions, people place food offerings on graves or family altars. The celebrations also include special dances, known as Bon Odori, which are specific to each region.
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Day of the Dead
You may be familiar with one of the most famous festivals of the dead, Día de Muertos, which originated in Mexico. Like the Obon Festival, it is a time for family and friends to honor the dead.
Ma'nene
Some traditions focus on not just the soul of the deceased, but also their physical bodies. The Torajan culture of Indonesia views death as a gradual process of transition into the afterlife. The deceased body is kept in the house, sometimes for years, until the funeral.
Every year, or few years, the bodies are exhumed to be cleaned and redressed before returning them to their burial place.
Famadihana
Madagascar has a similar tradition, known as the turning of the bones. During this celebration, families reunite with their deceased loved ones. People remove the dead from their crypts, rewrap them in fresh cloth, and write their names on the outside of the cloth to ensure their memory lives on.
By Alfred EisenstaedtLIFE Photo Collection
Many Traditions, One Purpose
All these celebrations are unique, but they share one purpose: venerating the dead and honoring those who have passed on, ensuring the dead live on in the memories of their loved ones.
Story by Tessa Litecky
This story was created in association with a museum exhibition and academic conference titled Exalted Spirits: The Veneration of the Dead in Egypt through the Ages, jointly organized by The American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE), The American University in Cairo (AUC), and the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (MoTA) in Egypt.
