Pallbearing Traditions From Around The World

May 2024 ยท 2 minute read

In the United States, most pallbearers have the duty of escorting their loved one to the burial site within about a week of death. For the Torajans in Indonesia, the funeral procession is an event that concludes a months-, or even decades-long ritual.

When a person dies, their body is kept at home and cared for by their relatives as if they were ill. The body is offered food, water, and anything else they would've wanted in life, such as cigarettes, because it is believed that their spirit is still present. Friends and family will see their loved ones again, however. Approximately every two years the family returns to unearth the bodies and give them a fresh change of clothes.

The corpses may remain in the home for years. A major factor in the length of their post-mortem stay? Cost. According to Vice, the funeral procession can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000. That doesn't include the cost of sacrificial water buffalo.

During the funeral procession, known as Rambu Solo, the buffalo are sacrificed. With the "last breath" of the animals, it is believed that the person truly dies as well. From here, the animals take up the burden of carrying the spirit of the dead, while their family members parade the body on to their mausoleum. The more buffalos are sacrificed, the faster the soul reaches heaven, with 24 being an optimal number. 

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