A Sad Day

Last Tuesday night we got word that our leader’s wife’s father had died. So early Wednesday morning we headed to the house for the funeral. This is one of the things about culture you wish you could learn by hearing about and not really having to experience. There are some very different things, but for the most part, very much the same. Just be sure to give an even amount of flowers, an odd number is not good. At the house they have the viewing, and the person is placed in the middle of a room with chairs around for people to be able to sit. Then a bus came and took the family and the coffin and we all followed in other vehicles to the grave site. The cemetery is almost a city itself. Different than back home. Some have grave stones, but those have the persons’ face engraved on it. Each site has a little fence around it. The Muslim graves sometimes have a little building. When we reached the burial site, one of the Pastors said a little something and then anyone who wanted to share had opportunity. Then they closed and nailed the coffin shut, and placed it into the ground (after some extra digging). Then everyone picked up some of the dirt and threw it onto the coffin. Then the grave workers finished shoveling the rest of the dirt in and put the fence in place and put the metal grace marker in place, and then people placed more flowers on top. Then we all returned to the house for the lunch. Because not everyone could fit into the room at the same time, there was a rotation of people; when one group had finished, they left and the next group came in and the family served the meal. One thing I learned also was that, although it is typical to wear black at funerals back home, and at this occasion is was also appropriate because he was Russian, but at Kyrgyz funerals it is typical to wear white.