day 13

I want to say a few words about the last weekend, because it was a funeral weekend. Here funerals can only be celebrated on the second weekend of the month to allow people from all over the country to join them. Even though the celebration and the burial are carried out in the Christian tradition, the whole funeral is not just the burial. It was Friday evening when they started celebrating and they went on until yesterday night. Obviously I was curious so I discreetly approached the place. Actually, I just followed the music and the voices, because here, even if  perhaps someone is sad, funerals are parties. There was music, both played by a DJ and live performances with drums and other instruments. They also made some animal sacrifices, they lit a fire, and they cooked and ate together. People where wearing t-shirts with the name of the person who had passed away, while playing cards and talking with relatives they hadn't seen for ages. I asked them to teach me how to play this card game and I joined some kids that where standing behind the group of people celebrating but I soon found myself clapping my hands to the rhythm of the drums and dancing with them. Everybody was smiling (I didn't want to take many pictures, so I'll leave you with this picture of the woman that was welcoming the guests at the entrance).

I told them how different our funerals are, but they couldn't understand, simply saying: "We have to celebrate, he is going to a better place!”