Comments on: Korean funerals are…different. http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/513 Crunky! This is a blog about an English teacher living in South Korea. Fri, 10 Oct 2008 21:12:01 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: torgodevil http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/513#comment-2727 torgodevil Thu, 28 Jun 2007 14:44:53 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/513#comment-2727 This woman isn't Christian as far as I know. Turns out some people needed to be present at the wake for 24 to 48 hours to greet guests. They aren't supposed to sleep, as the spirit hasn't fully departed. They play marathon games of GoStop just to keep awake. This woman isn’t Christian as far as I know. Turns out some people needed to be present at the wake for 24 to 48 hours to greet guests. They aren’t supposed to sleep, as the spirit hasn’t fully departed. They play marathon games of GoStop just to keep awake.

]]> By: Eric http://blog.torgodevil.com/archives/513#comment-2726 Eric Wed, 27 Jun 2007 16:46:31 +0000 http://www.torgodevil.com/archives/513#comment-2726 Not being cremated...is she or any of her close relatives Christian? Though the Catholic Church now allows cremation, it ought not be done if the cultural understanding would take it as denying belief in the resurrection of the body. I think the "Western funeral" may be rooted in Jewish custom, which carried over to Christianity. In the Jewish tradition, someone is required to stay with the body until it is buried to make sure no one steals it or desecrates it. Now, this usually isn't a problem in places, like, Brooklyn, but I'd imagine Jews living elsewhere still need to keep an eye out. I don't have any sources on this, it's just a guess. Greco-Roman customs may have been acculturated as well. Not being cremated…is she or any of her close relatives Christian? Though the Catholic Church now allows cremation, it ought not be done if the cultural understanding would take it as denying belief in the resurrection of the body.

I think the “Western funeral” may be rooted in Jewish custom, which carried over to Christianity. In the Jewish tradition, someone is required to stay with the body until it is buried to make sure no one steals it or desecrates it. Now, this usually isn’t a problem in places, like, Brooklyn, but I’d imagine Jews living elsewhere still need to keep an eye out. I don’t have any sources on this, it’s just a guess. Greco-Roman customs may have been acculturated as well.

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