Not Ghana Die

I read an interesting article on funerals in Ghana the other day. While in North America there is a sense of social status that affects the size and pomp of your funeral. In Ghana, however, it is nuts. This is a country in which approximately 80% of the population makes less than $2 per day. The average annual income is $450. The ECONOMIST suggests that the average funeral costs $2,000 to $3,500. Consider:

They build elaborate coffins for the funeral but break them at burial to avoid theft ( I prefer to think of it as recycling). While that clearly creates casket building jobs, it hardly seems to be very efficient use of resources (I know I am a cold hearted bastard).

They refrigerate bodies (as do most countries) on death but the length of the refrigeration is a sign of status. A King recently spent 18 months in the fridge as a sign of respect. That might explain some of the Ted Williams stories we've heard.

And lastly, they hire professional mourners who lead the procession and wailing. I guess if you've been dead for 18 months your family might have gotten past the worst grief and appearances require really sad people. On the other hand, you may be at work paying for the funeral so have to hire people to come to the service.

I know I may be being culturally insensitive here but this is ridiculous and someone should tell them.