Fancy caskets

“This is the second most important event in my life after my funeral”, my Congolese friend told me at his graduation from seminary.

As surprising as this statement was, I should have expected it. Funerals are a big deal wherever we have worked in Africa. I saw Africans bumped from a once-a-week flight without complaining because it was to make room for a man and his wife going to his father’s funeral. Church leaders sometimes denounce the amount of money sometimes spent on lavish funerals.

It was in Accra, Ghana that I found the most colorful funeral accoutrements. There, a few casket makers specialize in caskets made in a form that reflects the profession of the deceased. Customers can pick from a selection of ready-made caskets in a variety of forms, or special order one in a form which will commemorate the deceased. And, yes, they do bury them.

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7 thoughts on “Fancy caskets

  1. I love this post. A very special friend of mine was making caskets out of redwood. They were called living caskets. You would get one and use it as a window seat and linen chest until you die and then you would be buried in it. I love the idea. God Bless you and Dayle.

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  2. Chuck was impressed with the truck. Should have known, anything with an engine grabs his attention. I am curious about prices. Those casket people are really artist. The display is interesting but we’ll go with our planned simple container.
    Joyce

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