Death has different perceptions and interpretations in different cultures, and there are various approaches to it in different countries. Death is treated as a significant event in the Filipino, including many traditions and peculiarities. In Filipino culture, there are several objects and symbols related to death and associated with funerals. Because of the beliefs and religion in the country, death is not perceived as an actual end of life. Thus, because of such an unusual perspective, the whole death culture may differ from the cultures in other countries.
Putting money in different objects is common in the context of Filipino funerals. Filipinos put cash in glasses, cookie jars, and boxes next to or in the casket at some funerals. The Filipino people believe that the spirits of the dead remain long before they leave for the afterlife, and their bodies return to the four elements of fire, water, soil, and air (Morley, 2021). They bury the deceased in a tomb and then in the ossuary. Water, air, soil, and fire are the symbols associated with life after death and thus are important concerning death in Filipino culture.
For Filipino Catholics, 24-hour alerts are given at the deceased’s house, and the bodies are escorted to the cemetery according to religious ceremonies. The mourners are expected to walk behind the casket. Mausoleums are built during the lifetime of the user, and mausoleums are other objects that are an essential part of the death culture in Filipinos. The position of the builder is indicated by the size of the structure. Six weeks of mourning continue after the loss of a family member. In this period, such objects as a mourner’s shirt or a black lapel pin on black clothes were important as they symbolize the memory of a deceased person.
Reference
Morley, I. (2021). The interlacing of disease, death, and colonial discord: San Lazaro Crematorium, Manila, the Philippines. Mortality, 1-17. Web.