This is fascinating. I was born and raised in Uruguay and I don't think food was ever a thing in funerals. You just hang out in a room and are generally sad, but food is nowhere to be seen. I've only seen food in funerals in the movies! I wonder whether this is by country, by religion (and variant of that religion), or what.
> You just hang out in a room and are generally sad
Without the party afterward? Most of the funerals I've been to here in the Eastern US involve feeling sad during the service and/or burial, and then a reception afterward where the mood lightens and you have a good time celebrating the person.
Will they be celebrating because you've died or celebrating the life you lived ? (the phrasing above sounds like the former) I want to live my life in such a way that people aren't happy (and/or relieved) when I die. I know some people whose passing will cause relief among the living - probably we all know people like that.
Context is important. > to celebrate the person that passed It is clearly written that such celebrations are for the person who has passed. It isn't even implicit: It's literally spelled out, in very plain English, what the purpose of these celebration are. > I hope people get together and celebrate when I die. Here, it is clearly written that the author hopes that people will perform such a celebration for him when…
Everyone understands this. It was a joke. It is funny to propose that the commenter hopes that people will get together and go "wow, thank god that asshole has finally kicked the bucket" and this proposition is made possible by the fortunate coincidence that "get together and celebrate when I die" can, divorced from context, be interpreted in either the intended way or the funny way.
Will they be celebrating because you've died or celebrating the life you lived ? (the phrasing above sounds like the former) I want to live my life in such a way that people aren't happy (and/or relieved) when I die. I know some people whose passing will cause relief among the living - probably we all know people like that.
Context is important. > to celebrate the person that passed It is clearly written that such celebrations are for the person who has passed. It isn't even implicit: It's literally spelled out, in very plain English, what the purpose of these celebration are. > I hope people get together and celebrate when I die. Here, it is clearly written that the author hopes that people will perform such a celebration for him when…
If we're talking semantics, the celebration is not so much for the deceased, but for the living "left behind."
My Dad died in the south, and I had to write his obituary and publish it in the local paper. The paper wanted me to publish the address of where I was staying so that people would know where to bring food, but I left that bit out. I did not turn down the pastor's offer to ask the "church ladies" to bring food for the little gathering we had in the church basement after the graveside service -- that was some good food…
If you don't mind me asking how do you cope with a loss like that? Especially if there was violence involved?
The article doesn't mention specifics (even the link to 'other cultures' is fairly thin gruel) but it made me think of a common in a number Eastern Orthodox traditions: boiled and typically sweetened wheat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koliva
Though obviously related this seems slightly different than what the article is mostly about. They're talking about food that's made as part of a system of care & support for the bereaved. Where koliva much more ritualized: it's blessed as part of the funeral and eaten by everyone present. It's also IIRC a pre-christian greek tradition so it's super interesting and cool how it came to be so widespread. But again not…
Where koliva much more ritualized
Not where I'm from and the range of the tradition extends beyond both Greece and the Balkans.
Though obviously related this seems slightly different than what the article is mostly about. They're talking about food that's made as part of a system of care & support for the bereaved. Where koliva much more ritualized: it's blessed as part of the funeral and eaten by everyone present. It's also IIRC a pre-christian greek tradition so it's super interesting and cool how it came to be so widespread. But again not…
Where koliva much more ritualized Not where I'm from and the range of the tradition extends beyond both Greece and the Balkans.
Where are you from and how do you eat it? I was actually thinking more of russian and arabic orthodox christians in the US since that's been my main exposure to it.