Fascinating Traditions To Honor The Dead Around The World

Turning of the bones – Madagascar In a ritual known as turning of the bones, or famadihana, the Malagasy people exhume the bodies of their dead every five or seven years. The bodies, which have been wrapped in cloth, are sprayed with wine and perfume and danced with to lively music. It is thought that this practice helps to quicken decomposition, the key step to allowing the spirits of the dead to enter the afterlife.