“Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted.”- St. Matthew 5:4.
A funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and an end. Many of those who attend funerals are not mourning. A significant number of the so called mourners are there for the food. Of course they will give the customary greeting ‘I am sorry for your loss’. The reality is they are being polite. Very few are truly sorry and will grieve with you. In fact, even some family members put on a performance worthy of an Academy Award. However, such is life. We each grieve in separate ways. There are no manuals which say there is one size fit all regarding grief. Some will bawl while others mourn silently. Oftentimes, we use our biases and prejudices regarding how one should mourn to cast judgment. Each time we attend a funeral we become or should become more conscious of our own mortality.
Performance
We are always performing. One just has to examine our use and misuse of social media; everything is placed in the public space. Undoubtedly, funerals can be viewed as a form of performance, particularly through the lens of Performance Studies. Performance Studies is an interdisciplinary field that examines how performance, broadly defined, shapes and reflects culture, society, and individual identity. It moves beyond traditional notions of performance as solely theatrical or artistic, encompassing rituals, social interactions, language use, and even aspects of identity construction. Performance studies analyzes these varied performances as ways of understanding how meaning is created, conveyed, and contested within different contexts.
The intellectual roots of performance studies in the United States can be found in the 1940s and 1950s, at a moment when theorists in the social sciences linguistics, anthropology, and sociology began to employ theater as a model for studying uses of language, ritual, and everyday interactions. Rituals, including funerals, are inherently performative, serving as a way to publicly mark significant life events and transitions. Funerals provide a structured setting for expressing grief, honoring the deceased and offering support to the living, all of which involve specific actions, roles, and symbolic elements. This perspective recognizes that funerals involve culturally sensitive ritualistic actions.
For many bereaved families viewing funerals as a performance where traditions and structures are followed make it easier for them to cope with the loss of a loved one. In the performance of funerals many families overcompensate by throwing an elaborate funeral. Many perhaps do this out of a guilty conscience for not being there physically, or through some form of tangible support to the deceased. Perhaps, this grand performance where everything is at stake is done to soothe their inner beings, their souls given that they cannot undo the events of the past.
Evidently, there cannot be a performance without an audience. In fact, from the moment we are born we are performing. All of human experience is a performance. The more there is an audience the more intense the performance. While grief is a personal and deeply felt emotion, the public display of grief at a funeral is also a performance, with individuals often exhibiting grief in ways that are socially acceptable and expected. Funerals do involve performative elements and rituals that serve a purpose for the living. Funerals are often structured events with prescribed actions and speeches, intended to honour the deceased and provide a sense of closure for the bereaved family.
Nine Night
Jamaican funerals are typically not held immediately, and can be held up to a month later. Part of the reason is to allow the return of family members from abroad, but another reason seems to support the belief that it takes nine days after death for the spirit, or duppy to depart the body.
Nine night is a form of “set up,” or wake, that takes place on the ninth night after a person’s death, before the funeral and burial. After one’s death there is the customary set-up that is held each night until the night before the funeral. Nine Night originates from Akan traditions in West Africa, where it was a period of observing the dead for nine days.
According to traditional Jamaican belief, the journey from this world to the next is not complete until nine nights after the death of the body. The ghost, or duppy, of a deceased person might linger after death, inhabiting its old house, or exacting revenge on persons who have mistreated it. On the ninth night, it is said to depart permanently, at which time its friends must give it a party as a celebratory send-off. Proper respect for the dead body and the duppy are said to prevent retribution or other harm from a duppy. Another traditional ritual is that infants would be passed two or three times over the body in the coffin to prevent the return of a dead person’s spirit. When we think of dressing for a funeral, we often think about what we should wear as guests. However, if you have a loved one who has passed away one decision you will need to make is what they will be dressed in for the funeral.
Another tradition surrounds the widow of the deceased who usually wear inch measure/tape measure around her waist in order to prevent the spirit of her dead husband from having sex with her. Additionally, red ribbons are used to adorn children of the deceased or children in general to ward off evil spirits. Finally, the deceased is dressed in a special form of underwear before the regular underwear is placed on them.
Nine night differs also depending on location, meaning rural nine night differs from urban nine nights. In rural areas there is also the digging of the grave. While this is a sober event it has trappings of a celebration. Like nine night, grave digging is a community event where friends of the deceased and family assist in digging the grave. Cooking and the drinking of rum are closely associated with grave digging.
Additionally, nine nights can take the form of a prayer meeting and remembrance especially for Christian families rather than the noisy all night singing, rum drinking, singing, storytelling, dancing and playing of dominoes or other games.
Food
Food is deeply intertwined with celebrations, acting as more than just sustenance but also as a symbol of culture, tradition, and social connection. Food is a universal language that enhances the festive atmosphere, strengthens bonds, and creates lasting memories. Food can symbolize various aspects of the celebration, from good luck and prosperity to remembrance of loved ones. Food often embodies historical narratives, religious beliefs, and regional diversity.
Food is both symbolic and systematic of celebration and plays an integral part of many cultures worldwide. Whether it’s a religious holiday or a secular one, food is often used to mark the occasion. For example, in many Christian traditions, Christmas is celebrated with a feast that includes roast turkey, ham, and other dishes. In Jewish culture, Hanukkah is celebrated with latkes, which are fried potato pancakes. Food plays a vital role in marking specific milestones in our journey of life. For those of us in the Caribbean this lived reality is perhaps rooted in our history of enslavement and colonization. Death is the road for all of us. We are born to die. Funerals have now become a performance.
Cultural Shift
Funerals have moved away from being a solemn, sober time of reflection to a grand community celebration. In fact, some funeral announcements specifically instruct mourners, if you can call them that, to wear cheerful colours. There are even some funerals with a theme. Funerals are no longer about the deceased. Funerals have become an event for public display. Funerals are judged by the amount of money spent. It appears that the more elaborate the funeral the more the community will likely give a good or satisfactory commendation, cementing the family’s good standing. Yes, performances are always given a score or grade.
The “Gherry” dance, also spelled “Gerreh”, is a traditional Jamaican dance of African origin performed the night after a person’s death. It’s a lively and celebratory dance meant to cheer the bereaved, similar to the Dinki Mini and Zella, but with a greater emphasis on hip movements by the female dancers.
Funerals have evolved over the years. At one juncture only gospel music or sacred music would be played in the hearse transporting the deceased, now other genres of music are played including dancehall. To a great extent, the personality of the deceased is considered, especially in terms of the type of coffin selected and the cerement (burial clothes). What are some of the traditions you are aware of regarding funerals?
What has remained constant however, is that funerals are a time of remembrance and performance.
“And the dust returns to the earth as it was, and the spirit returns to God who gave it.”- Ecclesiastes 12:7.
Wayne Campbell is an educator and social commentator with an interest in development policies as they affect culture and or gender issues.
Yours truly
waykam@yahoo.com
@WayneCamo
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