The focus on structure and regulation doesnt end when the funeral service is over. However, the German state has recognized four minority languages, which are the Upper and Lower Sorbian, Romani, Danish as well as North and Saterland Frisian. The Burial. "Lord of All Hopefulness" by Jan Struther. Join 262,114 students interested in studying in Germany. A funeral could be performed according to Klasse I (first rate) down to Klasse 5. subject to our Terms of Use. It also ensures theres room for future burials. People once believed that keeping ones mouth open while yawning will cause demons to enter the persons body and cause mischief in their soul. Most people will attend several funerals in their lifetime. The Day of the Dead (el Da de los Muertos) is a funeral tradition that originated in Mexico. The order of a German service typically starts with readings, prayers, and singing led by the clergy member officiating the ceremony. Even in Germany, a country which likes to present itself as a bastion of levelheaded efficiency and rationality, many old German superstitions are still alive and kicking. In more traditional families, the casket is carried by pallbearers. German Traditions. . To observe this festival, altars are set up in the home or graveyard to remember those who have died. Germans drink a lot of beer, eat sausages and make bread of different taste. The actual burial services are free sort of a last present from the state for decades for faithfully paying Church taxes. Every family is different. Cremated remains there don't have to be buried at all, saving the cost of the burial and a headstone. 2012 - 2022 - Studying in Germany - All Rights Reserved. The government is also typically responsible for embalming and cremating a body. German funeral urns wash up on Dutch coast, UN states finally strike deal to protect high seas. Some younger families opt to do away with what they consider old-fashioned rituals in favor of something less rigid and costly. The procession starts from the funeral home or church where the memorial service took place. German funeral traditions and beliefs are steeped in history and . //