THE CHALLENGE
A 100 day project is a creative endeavor devised by Michael Beirut, where one undertakes a creative project, doing it every day for 100 days, and sharing the process online. For my 100 days, I illustrated 100 funeral rites and traditions from around the world on the Instagram @100funeralrites.
This project was created to change the way we approach the subject of death and begin to shift conversations on dying.
Year: 2021
![]()
FUNERAL STRIPPERS | TAIWAN
Funeral strippers are usually women hired to sing, dance, and sometimes remove their clothing at a funeral in order to celebrate the life of the deceased as well as attract mourners. It is most common in Taiwan, where there has already been an established custom of hiring professional entertainment to perform at funerals.
Not only is it intended to boost attendance to make for a ‘well-attended funeral’, the purpose of funeral strippers is to ‘appease wandering spirits’ and may also be seen as a flaunting of wealth from the mourning family.
![]()
ANTYESTI | HINDU COMMUNITIES
Antyesti means ‘last sacrifice’, and is the last rite of passage - or ‘samskara’ in Hindu tradition. The exact details depend on region, age, gender, and caste of the dead - but all typically involve cremation. Funeral rites are usually completed within a day of death. The body is washed, wrapped in cloth, and then taken to a pyre near a river.
In Hindu texts, the human body is believed to be comprised of five elements - air, water, fire, earth and space. This last rite is passage is meant as a return of the body to the elements and its origins.
ANTYESTI | HINDU COMMUNITIES
