Each culture has its own unique way of approaching funeral customs for its people. Along with each approach comes a fascinating array of rituals, memorials, and language—often completely different than our own here in the United States.

For example, in Bolivia, it is believed that burning the deceased’s clothing allows the soul to progress to the afterlife. Because of this, a Bolivian family will hold a special ceremony solely for the cremation of the clothing.

Romanian funeral customs tend to be quite strict and feature many specific regulations. One of these regulations includes not allowing funerals on Mondays, Wednesdays, or Fridays. Another is the hiring of a female singer with little to no relation to the grieving family to perform specific songs at the deceased’s service.

In China, there is believed to be a direct connection between the number of attendees at a funeral and the amount of luck the remaining family members will have in the future. Because of this, a Chinese family will often pay strangers to come to the deceased’s ceremony, in hopes of increasing the number of attendees and, subsequently, the family’s luck.

Residents of New Orleans, Louisiana have a funeral custom that evolved by combining the practices of France, Spain, and various African countries. Called a New Orleans jazz funeral, this custom features a lively public procession with music, dancing, and singing in the city streets—all with the intent of celebrating the deceased’s life and "dancing the grief away.”

Whatever cultural practices or memorials you use to pause and reflect on the life of a loved one, know that, in doing so, you’ll be participating in the same act as people all over the world, though simply in a different way.