Morrie often refers to our culture and how it affects the way that we look at life .
He also refers to different cultures than our own such as the Buddhists and a .
tribe in the North Atlantic Arctic and how they deal with life and death. There are many .
ways that different cultures deal with the two issues, some are very different from others, .
while others are quite a bit alike. .
People use many different methods to deal with death. The people in Appalachia .
have a very unique way of dealing with it. Whenever a person passes on, they ring a bell .
equal to how many years old the person that passed away was. The Appalachian's ritual .
for death helps them deal with death because their ceremony is a way of them saying .
goodbye to their loved one. They do this by having a wake that is similar to what us .
Americans also usually have. The night before they bury the body, the deceased's family .
members and close friends would gather in a room and sit around the body, pray, sign .
hymns, and comfort each other throughout the night. Although these customs are old, .
many of them are still practiced today. Family members still assume a lot of the .
responsibility for the car of the deceased.
People celebrate life using many different methods as well. In Japan there is a .
very special ceremony that takes place for boys and girls, it is called Adult's Day. It is the .
coming of age ritual that is held in modern-day Japan on January 15th of every year. .
Adult's Day is a national holiday that celebrates the people that have had their 20th .
birthday during the previous year. After this ceremony takes place, they are considered to .
have both more responsibilities and more privileges. They may now vote, smoke, and .
drink alcohol if they wish to do so. This ritual helps people celebrate life because they look at getting older a good thing, because you get more privileges and .
responsibilities and are considered an adult from then on.
