Burials can be a celebration of life for the Igbos of South Eastern Nigeria

The Igbos have a rich cultural heritage, which spans so many centuries. If you are privileged to attend an Igbo traditional wedding or funeral you might agree that it is always lively and colorful, with beautiful dances and masquerades.

Very recently, I had the opportunity to attend a funeral of a friend's mother who died at 87 years of age, and I learnt a thing or two about culture. In Igbo land when someone that old dies, it's not considered as a sad occasion but a celebration of Life. It is believed that such a person has lived life to the fullest and therefore should be celebrated and not mourned.

I witnessed how the children and grandchildren of the deceased cried especially as their mother/grandmother's corpse was brought in for them for them to see her one last time and pay their final respects. After she was laid to mother earth, what followed was a wild celebration.

For the Igbos burials are seen as way to say farewell to the soul of the deceased as it continues its journey into the afterlife. When adult dies, it is mandatory for burial rites to be performed for the deceased, where that is not done, it is believed that the person will keep reincarnating and dying at childbirth. In Yoruba custom such people are referred to as "Abiku".

In some cases when people don't perform burial rites for their parents, and they die, their surviving relatives must first perform burial rites for the dead parents of the deceased before they can be buried.

Some people are however exempted from enjoying this rite, and they include people who commit suicide, those who drown or people who were considered evil during their lifetime. In this case they are not buried but thrown into an evil forest. However, the arrival of Christianity has toned down some of this practices. Christians believe that all men are entitled to a proper Christian burial, even those that commit suicide are not exempted. Christians believe however that, those who commit suicide will not make heaven.

Mama who died was very virtuous in her lifetime, she was a very active in her community and worked very hard with the women to bring about progress in the community where she lived. According to her children she lived a simple life and was very charitable, with all these been said about her she was seen as deserving of a befitting burial.

Funerals for old people Igboland is usually considered a celebration of Life, because it is seen that such people have lived life to its fullest. What usually follows after interment is usually celebration which is marked by music, dance, eating and drinking. I had a lot to eat and drink, the food and drinks kept coming until I couldn't take in anymore. For the Igbos an event is not complete without the presence of kola. The kola is blessed by the oldest person in the gathering and someone appointed breaks the Kola, and it is distributed to the people. It is sometimes accompanied with Palmwine, Garden eggs and peanut butter.

If you ever find yourself in the eastern part of Nigeria, I would recommend you try out the fresh Palmwine, you would hardly regret it.