How Death Festivals Are Celebrated Around The World

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), Mexico

This is a colourful celebration of the dead. On this special night, families gather to clean and decorate the graves of their beloved ones. The celebrations are also known for its skeleton decorations, candies, and elaborate costumes as well.

Ari Muyang, Malaysia

The Mah Meri tribe in Malaysia, is a small minority of the country's population, where people celebrate the death festival by remembering their ancestors. It's a day of dancing that's steeped in tradition.

Chuseok, Korea

Koreans celebrate this in their three-day harvest festival, in which they honour their dead members. Each year, about 30 million people in Korea visit the hometowns of their ancestors to pay homage. During these days, people pray, clean the tombs of their immediate ancestors, and offer them food and drink.

Pitru Paksha, India

The Hindus honour their ancestors upto seven generations back! They start their day by bathing in sacred ponds and rivers, and offer prayers and food to their ancestors, as they believe the ancestors to return from the afterlife for the night to feast.

Obon, Japan

This is a 500-year-old Buddhist ritual that people follow. On this day, the family members gather to clean, decorate the graves of their loved ones. They also release lanterns to help guide their spirits.

Also Read:What Happens in 'Crying Sumo' Festival In Japan?

Hungry Ghost Festival, China

This is a really long festival that goes on for an entire month! According to the traditional belief, the 7th month of the lunar calendar is the time when the spirits roam the Earth. People burn offerings to appease these ghosts by leaving out food.

Pchum Ben, Cambodia

People visit their local temples to pray and make offerings to the dead. It is also considered as one of the most important festivals in the Khmer culture. They celebrate this day with buffalo races and wrestling.

Galungan, Bali

The people of Bali believe that on this night their ancestors revisit their homes. They believe in welcoming and entertaining the spirits; and if they would fail, they believe the spirits to haunt the place!

Gai Jatra, Nepal

It is a festival that honours cows, but it also serves as a time to honour the dead and departed. The cows are paraded through the streets of Kathmandu, in which the children dress up as cows. It is believed to help guide spirits into the afterlife.

Guy Fawkes Night, United Kingdom

This festival does not qualify as a festival of the dead, but it is considered to be close enough in view of the celebration pattern. It is celebrated on November 5th, the anniversary of when Guy Fawkes tried to blow up the Parliament. He's burned in effigy while people parade around wearing masks.