There is no doubt that, when we talk about the funeral, we go in a particularly delicate field but also, rich in superstition and superstitious gestures.
There is not a lack of curiosity at Exhibition.
The same that led us to ask how the funeral was performed in other foreign countries.
As a term of comparison, we thought of England, which deals with the tragic event in a way that is diametrically opposed to ours, which has a lot of emotion to offer.
What does it mean? Read what follows and you will understand
Italy is a strong traditionalist country, as England is, but the moment of family mourning completely swarms the streets. The funeral posters are posted on the walls of the house of the deceased and for all the street of the city (wherever it is allowed to do so). So, in a certain sense, the pain is shared not only by the family or loved ones of the deceased but by all those who feel the need or the duty to do so.
In England, instead, the family of the deceased publishes an announcement in the local newspaper in which it is required, to anyone who wants to do so, to actively contribute to the funeral costs.
In case you read:
“Please no flowers but donations to XXX will be most appreciated”.
Do not be surprised!
Another difference is the vigil. In Italy, usually the relatives or friends of the deceased gather in the hours following his death and before the corpse is buried or cremated, as the word itself says, to watch over the body, before gathering for the last goodbye.
England is far from this practice, transporting the body to the “Funeral Home” which also keeps it for weeks until the funeral is celebrated.
Following the burial, in Italy, the decency recommends that there is a private rite at the cemetery of the country to which the deceased belonged, shared by the family and loved ones to it; in England, after the moment of burial there is the custom of thanking people, especially those who have come from far away, with refreshments that can take place in private environments, as well as in pubs or restaurants.
Here, this kind of celebration would be inappropriate.
To always keep in mind the will of the deceased person and the funeral is both a commemorative and celebratory moment but also a practical way, at a psychological level, to tell the mind where that loved one is now, although it is unpleasant.
The common point between the two nations is participation in the pain expressed by condolences.
In England, they are expressed by the words R.I.P or by the expression “I am sorry for your lost” and anticipated, as also happens in Italy, from sending flowers to the place of celebration.
The rituals are different, they could be subject to diatribe but the pain is the same in any country it happens.