In days of old, funeral grounds used to be a place of mourning, grieving and consolation of the bereaved family, but the 21st century generation see funeral ceremonies for something different entirely.
Yes, they may offer their condolences and what have you, but this generation of Ghanaians who were born social animals, take advantage of whatever gathering it is to catch up with old friends, build new relationships and even find business network opportunities.
In a way, funerals have moved from the purpose of mourning and show of solidarity to more of a socializing event which no one is shy to admit these days.
I’ve been to a couple of funerals recently and you barely see anyone shed tears. And out of the few who shed tears, one does not need to be told twice these people are shedding false tears.
One thing which stands out for me when it comes to the 21st century generation and funerals is the commitment they show to the bereaved. They bring on board a different approach to mourning with the bereaved which many old folks do not understand. Instead of telling the bereaved family, friend or colleague “3b3 y3 yie”, “Ka w’akoma to woyam” and other messages of consolation, they rather make jokes and share stories to cheer them up, and to help them find joy at least temporarily.
The regular Ghanaian saying “Funeral jollof is the best” does not apply to them. When they come for the funeral of a colleague or friend, you barely see them walking home with packs of food and bottles or cans of drinks. This generation has come to understand that funerals come at a cost and rather than scramble for food and drinks at the funeral grounds, they’ll rather make some contributions to the bereaved family and make their own food arrangements, something I find commendable. One will argue this as causing a loss to the family but the 21st century generation believes funerals already cost a ton of money and would rather take care of themselves than burden a grieving person.
Recently a friend told me how a friend asked her to get her a can of malt when coming home. This friend agreed to do so and was immediately warned not to bring any funeral malt home. Some of you may be laughing but this is how important this generation regard and consider the stress a grieving family goes through. They deemed it insensitive for one to take or demand things from a family which is in pain.
I for one believe one is only entitled to a bottle(s) of water at a funeral and nothing more than that. I believe Ghanaians should develop the culture of attending funerals, weddings and parties with gifts, drinks, water and food to support these events rather than being a burden on the families.
For sure some of you will disagree with me and some may take harsh stances against me but hey, this is just my two cents. Opinions are like noses and ours are definitely not the same.
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