Famadihana
Source: Wikipedia
Famadihana or “the turning of the bones” is a traditional death ceremony of Madagascar’s Malagasy people. In it, relatives gather at the family crypt to retrieve the wrapped bodies of their ancestors, and then dance with their corpses to live music. Afterward, the family members carefully re-wrap each departed family member in fine silk scarves, spraying the bodies with perfume.
Source: Cogitz
The living family members then reflect with the bodies in their laps, pose for photos, and again dance with the bodies of those they’ve lost within the tomb -before putting them back to rest. As the family departs the crypt, they leave gifts of photos, money, and alcohol.
Source: Cogitz
The ritual is only repeated every seven years, as it is believed that the dead’s spirits join the world of their ancestors only after the body’s complete decomposition, which may take several years. This has a practical benefit as well, since the silk shrouds used in the process are quite expensive. It is also common for women who are having trouble conceiving children to take a fragment of an old shroud and place it under their bedding, to receive a blessing of a different kind, according to Lonely Planet.
Finally, check out some haunting death photos taken just before the person died.
