Text: Traditional Mexican funerals are very different that those in the United States. They last anywhere from 2-3 days, and involve lots of food, alcohol, and music. One of the most prominent customs involves the carrying of the the casket to the cemetery site. I can recall numerous funeral services, all in Mexico City, that I would describe as being more fun that sad. This differs from my funeral experience in the United States, which is centered more around the mourning of the deceased.
Context: Informant describes bearing witness to these hispanic funeral traditions many times while attending services in Mexico City. However, they have never witnessed such actions occur in the United States, even at Mexican- American funerals. Informant acknowledges the differences in ideologies between many Americans and Hispanics to be the fundamental reason for this observation. They claim that the people of Mexico do not view death to be the end of ones soul, but the transition into an afterlife. Because of this, their physical loss is met with a celebratory sequence, ackowledging the continuation of their soul.
Analysis:
As someone who has never attended a funeral in general, I was quite shocked to here of the funeral traditions of Hispanic weddings. I was especially surprised to hear about how the coffin is carried throughout the street to the cemetery. At an initial glance, from the perspective of someone born in the United States, I thought it was slightly disrespectful. However, this exposure has helped me understand how many hispanics view with cycle of life and the issue of death. By seeing death as the departure of the soul to an afterlife, rather than the elimination of the soul, these customs become very understandable. The difference in customs between cultures also allowed me to see how customs are a product of people, just as much as people are a product of customs.