Depending on your customs, country of origin, and the era in which you live, funeral customs can vary greatly. Cultures and civilizations attend to the suitable care of their dead. There are three things every culture and civilization has in common connecting to death and the nature consist of funeral rights, rituals and ceremonies, a sacred place for the dead, and memorialization of the dead. Many cultures have strict customs and others celebrate the dead as if they were still alive. In some cultures, men and woman are treated differently. .
Religion plays a big role in funeral customs of the present day and the past. There are different customs for different religions you believe in, such as Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism. Some funerals are held in a church or temple, or some religions require that you wait until the sun goes down. It's all a matter of what religion you deem in. There are also military funeral customs and different national customs. In some cultures, these sacrifices were meant to be used by the deceased in the future world. Self-mutilation, such as removing of toes or fingers was another form of sacrificial symbol of respect for the deceased. .
When a Jewish person dies the first thing the family does is contact their rabbi or another synagogue leader. Traditional Jewish funerals are very simple and usually brief. The relatives of the deceased tear their garments to symbolize their loss. They wash the body with warm water and then dress the body in white burial shrouds. Men prepare men, woman prepare woman. From the moment of death, the body is never left alone. The deceased is buried in a simple pine coffin. After the burial, it is a custom for the family to sit Shiva. This was traditionally done for seven days, although it is usually done for three days. Jews cover all mirrors during this time and it is done at home. Upon hearing about a death, a Jew recites the words " Baruch dayan emet" meaning, blessed be the one true judge.
