Cemetery. Heredia, Costa Rica, Central America. April Digital Image. Held by Cheryl Palmer

CULTURAL DIFFERENCES Death is an essential feature of the human condicion that requires people to develope means of coping with it. To neglect death is to ignore one of the few universal parameters in which the social and individual life are constructed. (Berger, P. 1967) According to Rosenblatt Paul (2012), to really understand sense of death in the cultures own perspective a person has to explore factors like; what has been lost with death, death rituals, cultural constructions and how is the future relationship with the deceased.

IN COSTA RICA -Culture differences in the culture -Different religions and cultures (catholic, jewish, indigenous) -Poor&rich - Close familyties ATTITUDE TOWARDS DEATH - Día de los muertos - generally funerals are tended to be held in a good spirit

RITUALS / CEREMONIES Rituals varie in different parts of Costa Rica NOVENARIO/NOVENA - Night before the funeral - church / house -Elements of water and incense - funeral procession - cemetery - last words - 9 days of prays with rosary - final ritual shows in the way of dressing in black CEREMONY

GUANACASTE - Closing a street with barrels and ropes - common to carry the coffin to the cemetery LIMON - African culture JEWISH CUSTOMS - Focuses on celebrating the life and not the death - as soon as somebody dies, person is placed on the floor of the house, there volunteers prepare the body for the burial - 7 days of shiva INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES -Tonjibe: bury the deceased under a roof, starts the funeral 4 am and Asks for forgiveness for the deceased. Community chooses a woman to Do the mourning for the community.

Berger,, P. (1967). by Mellor, P. & Shilling, C. ”Modernity, Self-Identity and the Sequestration of Death ” SAGE, Sociology : 411. Web. 9 Nov Costa Rica travel Buss. ”Costa Rica funeral: A peacefull goodbye” Online video clip. Youtube, Youtube, 2 Jan Web. 9 Nov Google maps. ”screencapture”. Google maps Web 12 Nov Henfling, Ivo. ”Costa Rica Funeral homes and cemeteries” AE American European Real Estate Group. Web 9 Nov 2014 Randall, Corella V. ”Muchas formas para un adiós” Revista Dominical Web 12 Nov 2014 Rosenblatt, P. ” A social constructionist perspective on cultural differences in grief.” American Psychological Association Web 9 Nov Wilson, Valerio. ”Costumbres funerarias 1000 años antes del presente en la costa sel Golfo de Nicoya” Museo Nacional de Costa Rica. Web 12 Nov 2014 Zanca, Liliana Ramos. ”Dia de los fieles difuntos”. Sicultura, Sistema de información cultural Costa Rica. Web 9 Nov, 2014