Hindus in Guyana and throughout the world are observing the period (inauspicious) of Pitri Paksha (Sept. 2nd to Sept. 17th). Pitri Paksha is a set time frame in which people belonging to the Hindu community, pay homage and tribute to their deceased loved ones. For this, they perform Tarpan and Shradh rituals and pray for their salvation. A Hindu tradition lasting fifteen days during the month of Ashwin, ( most years, the autumnal equinox falls within this period, i.e. the Sun transitions from the northern to the southern hemisphere during this period) Pitri Paksha (Fortnight of the Ancestors) is the time during which people remember their ancestors, particularly through food, fruits and water offerings, giving charity and reciting the scriptures, especially the Gita. Stemming from the Mahabharata, a Hindu epic (which tells of the soul of Karna, a deceased warrior, who couldn’t find any food in heaven because he had never honored his ancestors with food offerings) the festival includes several ceremonies and rituals, which are performed in order for departed souls to attain peace. It is believed that those who do not perform Tarpan and Shradh Kram undergo the Pitra Dosh, a kind of defect in one’s horoscope that can lead to severe problems in one’s life. It is said that by performing Shradh rituals and Tarpan, one can provide peace to the soul of their deceased. There are many do’s and don’ts as per tradition, one of them being not venturing into a new project. It is interesting to note how other cultures practice its doctrine and concept.

In Islam, when the Holy Prophet said that hearts also get rusted like iron, the people asked, “With what substance can it be cleansed?” The Holy Prophet replied: “By remembering death and reciting the Holy Qur’an”. Another tradition that is narrated from the Holy Prophet is this: “Remember death frequently for it has four effects: (1) It washes off your sins. (2) It reduces your keen fondness for the world. (3) It checks your indulgence in bad practices and improper use of wealth during the period of affluence. (4) It makes a man content with whatever little quantity of wealth he has as during poverty his remembering of death makes him realize how he will account before Allah for the wealth he has spent and the deprivation of the people, because he sees that when he has a small quantity of wealth his accountability also would be less”. (Nahjul Fasahat, saying, 444).
In the Jewish community, Yahrzeit is a Yiddish word meaning anniversary of a death. It is the yearly anniversary of a loved one’s death (traditionally the anniversary of the Hebrew date, not the Gregorian date). Jews observe yahrzeit at home by the main observance which involves recitation of kaddish prayer and lighting a special long-burning candle in memory of the deceased. Yahrzeit candles are also known as yizkor candles, because they are also lit on behalf of loved ones on the four Jewish holidays (Yom Kippur, Shemini Atzeret, Passover and Shavuot) that include a Yizkor, or Jewish memorial, service.

In Nepal, Gaijatra (or Gai Jatra), is a celebration that lasts for eight days in August and September. Also called the Festival of the Cows, this is the occasion to commemorate the death of people during the previous year. The festival includes a procession of cows through the center of town, led by family members who have lost a loved one in the preceding year. Cows have a sacred status in Hinduism and are therefore thought to help guide the recently deceased to the afterlife. The festival is a light-hearted celebration and is meant to help people accept death and ease the passing of loved ones.

In China, a death anniversary is called Jichen or Jiri. This type of ceremony dates back thousands of years in China (at least to the Shang Dynasty) and historically involved making sacrifices to the spirits of one’s ancestors. The Hungry Ghost Festival, celebrated on the fifteenth night of the seventh lunar month (the ‘Ghost Month’) in the Chinese calendar, when spirits and ghosts are believed to leave the underworld and wander the living world. As such, this is a time to alleviate the sufferings of the dead. The festivities last the whole month, though the fifteenth day is given special attention and offerings are made on it. In addition, many people set an extra seat at the table for the deceased. At the end of the festival, people light flower-shaped water lanterns and place them on lakes or rivers to lead spirits back to the lower realms.

In Japan, a death anniversary is called meinichi or kishin. Monthly observances of a death are known as tsuki meinichi, while annual anniversaries are known as shotsuki meinichi.
Celebrated for over 500 years in Japan, the Bon (or Obon) Festival was established to commemorate deceased ancestors. Lasting over three days, this Buddhist-Confucian tradition is not a solemn celebration, and often includes feasts with fireworks, games and dances, including the Bon Odori, a dance performed to welcome the spirits of the dead.

Famadihana (Turning of the Bones) is perhaps, to outsiders, one of the most unusual celebrations for the dead. Famadihana is a time of the year when Malagasy people remove corpses from their graves or crypts, spray them with perfume or drench them in wine, before wrapping them in silk and carried around the tomb with music and songs. This unique tradition comes from the belief that, until a body is fully decomposed, spirits of the dead can come and go between their world and ours. As such, the ritual is performed every seven years. While the tradition has declined in recent years, the celebration is one of the few occasions for entire families to come together.

The Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos), is a Mexican holiday where families welcome back the souls of their deceased relatives for a brief reunion that includes food, drink and celebration. The Day of the Dead (Día de los Muertos) celebration takes place annually on the first and second days of November. On these dates, residents of Mexico and Central America celebrate deceased loved ones’ spirits as they return to the land. While it might sound morbid, this is in fact a happy celebration for participants. The lives of the dead are celebrated, and the belief is that the living will eat, dance and drink with dead relatives. The tradition, which dates back to before the 8th century, is laden with symbolism — including the meanings of the colors used in the decorations.

Allhallowtide is a “time to remember the dead, including martyrs, saints, and all faithful departed Christians.” It lasts from 31 October to 2 November encompassing the Western Christian of observances, a triduum of All Saints’ Eve (Halloween), All Saints’ Day (All Hallows’) and All Souls’ Day. All Hallows’ Eve, often contracted as Halloween, is the eve of All Hallows (All Saints’ Day), and the first day of the Allhallowtide. On All Hallows’ Eve, some believed that the veil between the material world and the afterlife thinned. In order to prevent recognition by a soul, “people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities”; in North America, this tradition is perpetuated through the practice of trick or treating.

The Christian Church traditionally observed Hallowe’en through a vigil “when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself. After the service, “suitable festivities and entertainments” often follow, as well as a visit to the graveyard or cemetery, where flowers and candles are often placed in preparation for All Saints’ Day (All Hallows).The second day of Allhallowtide is known as All Saints’ Day, All Hallows, or Hallowmas. All Saints’ Day is a holy day to honor all the saints and martyrs, both known and unknown. On All Saints’ Day, many Christians visit graveyards and cemeteries in order to place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones. This is a common practice in countries such as Spain, Poland, the Philippines, as well as certain parts of the United States heavily influenced by Roman Catholicism such as Louisiana and Maryland. The final day of Allhallowtide is known as All Souls’ Day, and is also called the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed. Like All Hallows’ Eve and All Saints’ Day, family members often attend mass and visit the graves of their deceased loved ones, placing flowers and lighted candles there. In England, a popular tradition associated with All Souls’ Day is souling, in which “bands of children, or of poor men, went round to the houses of the well-to-do on Souling Day, as they called it, begging money, apples, ale, or doles of cake.

As a public holiday, people celebrate Brazil’s Day of the Dead, called Finados, throughout the country on November 2, following All Saint’s Day. Brazil’s holiday may be the most subdued of all Day of the Dead celebrations. Still, devout Catholic families spend the day visiting cemeteries, celebrating and remembering the life of departed loved ones. Many of the traditions of the holiday are now practiced behind closed doors or in churches. You’ll find many people in Brazil using this day to visit the graves of loved ones. They create an altar in the home to honor the departed with prayers and blessings throughout November. On the Day of the Dead, they cook the favorite meal of the deceased person and place it on the altar, leaving a cigarette or drink if they used to enjoy those products.

In Haiti, their veneration of the dead, known as Fet Gede, is a two-day event with a foundation in Voodoo traditions. For Haiti’s Protestants, Catholics and Voodoo practitioners, the Day of the Dead includes festivities similar to other countries that celebrate All Soul’s Day and All Saint’s Day as part of the holiday on November 1 and 2. Since the legalization of Voodoo in 2003, Haiti’s Day of the Dead most public celebrations tend to focus mostly on Gede, the Lwas (spirits) of the dead and Baron Samdi, who is the gatekeeper to the afterlife. Many people will have their faces painted white or chalked to imitate the paleness of the dead. Ritualistic dancers fill the cemetery throughout the day and night.

Since Voodoo practitioners already believe in the return of spirits and bringing back the dead, don’t be surprised to see the dead walking the streets during Haiti’s Day of the Dead. Offerings of food and drink will be given to the poor before general feasting begins. After the poorhouse receives its meals, as a visitor, you will find yourself welcome to partake in the abundance of Haitian food and copious amounts of rum. Cover your ears (and eyes) if you aren’t comfortable with open sexuality. The Gede are known for their sexual nature, so don’t be surprised by the off color jokes, provocative dancing and even fornication in the street.

Respectfully,
Jai Lall