How Funerals Adapted: Summary
Funerals are usually a religious or cultural customary form of folklore, where a ritual is held to commemorate the dead. Most funerals usually have close members of the family and family members holding a ritual at a religious place such as a church or place of importance, where the ritual is usually lead by a member of the place. With the Covid-19 pandemic limiting large group events from occurring, most ceremonies and traditions had to evolve to better fit the scenario happening at the time. An article from CNBC titled, "See religions around the world adapt in the age of coronavirus", contains a large collection of images that show how many different religious rituals around the world adapted to the pandemic.
(3) Aamir Qureshi | AFP | Getty Images
Some ways funerals evolved throughout the pandemic are from shifting from in-person events to online, adding protective measures, and ensuring all members involved are following safety procedures and aren't displaying any symptoms of Covid. Many funerals in the United States were held online, with usually only direct family members being a part of the in-person funeral. Most in-person funerals usually had participants follow safety precautions set in place by the local/federal government, such as staying at least 6 feet apart, wearing a mask, isolating if feeling symptoms, and other procedures. Precautions were also taking place in Muslim funerals, where the body is usually cleaned and covered in a shroud before the family can give final prayers and the burial is performed. In a report released on April 7, 2020, The World Health Organization recommended that participants who participate in these rituals wear protective equipment like gloves, mask, and goggles if bodily fluid may be present. According to an article by Spectrum News, families and close members of a Muslim who passed use to climb into the grave and lower the body down, but it is now done mechanically to prevent chances of possible spread of Covid. Many funerals switched to offering services online through platforms like zoom, with usually only direct family participating in-person. Certain cultures like the Samoan and Māori people holding zoom funerals to have face to face meetings with the family of the deceased, and to show support and mourning of the loss of a loved one.
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Funerals had to change a lot to keep up with Covid regulations to people safe during the rituals. Members of a community could still come together to mourn the loss of an individual, and to help the grieving process of those affected by the loss of someone close to them. With Covid cases slowing down and with vaccination rates increasing, some places are returning back to in-person funerals but still have some necessary precautions to keep people safe. Rituals such as these may soon go back to normal, but it is still an important lesson to know how fast certain rituals like these can evolve in such a small span of time to accommodate for things like these. The ability to allow online services for funerals could also have a big impact, as it allows those who cannot make it to a funeral to still participate. It allows cultures where connection is important to have a means to connect during times when in-person contact is limited .