Inundated By Death In Panama
Inundated By Death In Panama
After 7 funerals in exactly 2 months, I feel like I’ve overdosed on death. In Jamaica, we have a popular folk saying that death comes in threes. I’ve watched 3 turn to 6 and then last Thursday I had my 7th. That’s not a lot of funerals by some standards. One of colleagues in Jamaica recently had 10 funerals in 2 months. My 7 were 7 too many for me.
The only thing I am thankful for is the Panamanian funeral practice of not keeping the body for 3 weeks or a month until all the relatives arrive from ‘foreign’. We are well known for that in Jamaica. That practice used to drive me crazy this long waiting, changing of dates, fussing and feuding. Man!
While I cannot think of a single thing I like about funerals, the family feuding is my least favourite. I have seen only the odd instance of that here. Like everywhere else though, Panama’s funeral rites have some ‘wrong’s that threaten my sanity. Read full story in Panama Funeral Rites And Wrongs…….
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July 27th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
Great post. Thank you for the Panamanian funeral rites. I had a belly laugh over what’s the grave number, question. Hey, because the tradition is that if the dead “dream” you - quick go play the number. Peace
July 27th, 2008 at 9:29 pm
Welcome Sandra!
Glad you liked the post. I have never seen anything like this serious headstone number thing I tell you.
Well aside from the dead ‘dreaming’ some people. Nothing beats the Panamanians who pray that God will help them win. It’s not unique to them though. It is also very common in Jamaica to hear persons giving thanks for God for letting them win the Lotto or some such prize.
It tells a lot about how people view God’s role in their lives.
Peace!