Episode 29 – Death and Funeral Rituals – USA vs. D.R. Congo – 6-30-2023
Description
Death, funerals, grieving and the associated rituals vary from culture to culture. This episode explores the differences and similarities as to how Americans handle end of life and grieving vs. how Congolese do. Though death is much more prevalent in Congo, they don’t prepare for it for cultural reasons. Then, when someone does die, the question of “who” caused the death must be explored, even if we would explain it away due to an illness or tragic accident. Americans suppress their grief while Congolese express their grief with considerable intensity. My thesis for this episode was to explore the differences in rituals, and also to determine if Congolese move past the loss more quickly than Americans, and if so, “why”? Three Congolese are interviewed for this episode, along with a Funeral Director from Southern California. Add to that a fantastic story about a most unusual and adventurous funeral service. You will learn some interesting information about funerals in D.R. Congo, and learn how to move past your grief. Thanks to Segbewi Mobali, Motese Moyu, Talabisa Dawena, Becky Lomaka, and Roger Eales for their contributions to this episode.
Copyright © 2023 by Jeffrey W. Eales. All rights reserved. No portions may be reproduced or transmitted in any format without the prior written permission of the author.
United States
