The Lebanese Funeral System

Though we've all lost someone close to us, the funeral system that happens afterward is what affects us the most. If you've never attended a Lebanese funeral then I do pray you never get to. Nowadays, with the overpopulated ignorance, funerals have become a social gathering. People go there to meet up after a long while, sign up business deals, meet new people. After all, let us concede that if an important person passes away, those who would come to pay respects would also be important big shots. So when all is said and done and the cocktails arrive, people meet up and before you know it, they've got a yearly schedule of work planned ahead right on the spot. 

Now not to digress from the main topic of focus, but every culture has its share of traditions. From what I have observed, the Lebanese funeral system does more damage than good. First of all, unlike western funeral system where the body is kept in the coffin and is buried as soon as possible and then people gather to talk about the good times they've shared  with this person, the Lebanese system is far more dramatic. 

The Lebanese Funeral System would have 3 days of weeping and screaming. The coffin would be placed in front of the crowd and the women would weep and scream on the top of  their lungs. Some predisposed psychotics would shake the coffin asking the dead person to get up. I understand it's hard losing someone you care about and I believe I'd understand more than anyone but personally we must remain prudent. We must think about others around us and how this behavior can affect them. For eXample, a basic approach to color psychology is that everyone wears black mostly women in this case. If a mother is to wear black for more than three months, this will affect the infant child. Seeing the color black on a daily basis affects the child. Remember, we're scared of the dark naturally and it's been an archetype implanted within us. The sense of darkness, cold, abyss etc is an overwhelming feeling. Eventually we learn to adapt to the color black itself as a symbol of power and women enjoy wearing black because it makes them look slim. But like I said, the infant child is at risk here. 

Another point is predisposed depression. What I mean by this is that some people are naturally emotional and at stake to depression - they have a weak psychological immunity. With all the screaming and suffering going around, these people are predisposed to clinical depression. 


Lets not forget the old folks who have grown to the point their immune system isn't as strong as it used to be - any emotional factor hard on them would send them sick and sometimes put them into a vital state. How many Lebanese old folks do you know have no high sugar or blood pressure going on? 


I guess the grand finale is that they keep the coffin open depending on the 'condition' of the body. What kind of stupidity is this? In one minute after a person dies, the body turns entirely pale so what would you have after 3 days on display in the freezer on and off? Has anyone ever thought if a dead body carried a virus from Africa and as soon as the body is revealed in the funeral, everyone is in a potential position of being infected? No matter what medication you inject into the body to make it look 'alive', it certainly doesn't last more than a day. 


So thus I implore everyone to be prudent, I know there are traditions and customs we cannot change but we have to look at the bright side of things always. Death is never an easy thing but try to know the overall effect. Your state of mind is your state of health so pay your respect and get out if the situation looks or feels too powerful to bear. And mothers, remember your actions can put your children into a state of psychological risk. I'll end this here and I do hope no death or tragedy befalls any of you. Til neXt time.