Never Say Goodbye
On the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the Torajan people practice a unique and deeply bizarre death ritual where the deceased and their corpses still continue to remain a part of the family.
When someone dies in Toraja, the body is kept in the home for days, weeks, months, and even years depending on how long it takes for the family to save up enough money for the funeral. They continue to give food and talk to the corpse as if it were still alive because the person is simply "sick" and not dead until the actual funeral.
During the funeral, pigs and water buffalo are sacrificed and eaten during the service which can last for 3-10 days. One water buffalo can cost around $1,200. Depending on the social status of the family, anywhere from 6-80 water buffalos can be sacrificed.
However, the ritual doens't end there. Every year during the month of August "ma nene's" are peformed, which are considered to be the "second funeral". Northern Torajans exhume the dead from the tombs and brush the bodies off and change their clothes. They often pose with the mummy and take pictures with them. It is a time where loved ones can reconnect with their deceased relatives.
