Special thanks to Ms. Janet Hayles of Knockpatrick, Manchester, Jamaica, for sharing her knowledge with me.
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In Jamaica, up until about the 1960s-70s, most families would bury their dead within two days, because many could not pay for morgue fees. Immediately after a death, the practice was to put the body at the back of the house on a tall table covered with zinc sheeting; the body would be wrapped in sheets with an iron on the stomach to stop it swelling. The two big toes would be tied together; the nose, ears and bottom would be plugged to stop flies entering the body; the two arms and hands would be placed at the side of the body. Chipped ice would be placed all around the body, which was then covered with zinc sheeting. It was important that the body be placed somewhere out of the sun. If no visitors from far away were expected the burial would often be within 24 hours of the death.
Carpenters would visit the home with their tools to make a coffin; cut board was usually kept at home in anticipation of the need to make a coffin. Local men in the area would come and start digging a grave; all they needed was drink (mainly white rum) and food (ground provisions). Women in the area would come and help prepare food, serve, clean the home and other household chores.
After the death there is period known as "nine nights". The night before the burial would be the start of "set up": visitors would come to comfort the bereaved, and help in the home. Then the body would be prepared for burial by family and "respected" persons in the community: the body was washed and dressed in the person's favourite clothes. For those who had been regular churchgoers, their coffin would be taken to their church or place of worship, and following the service the body would be buried either in the church graveyard or in the burial plot at the family home. If the dead person had not attended church or a place of worship regularly, a ceremony would be held at home, and the body then buried in the family plot. The burial plot was simply a hole in the ground, covered with earth. After the burial family and friends would continue to visit to comfort the bereaved during a period of nine nights, especially for the first three days and nights, during when it is believed that the dead person will "visit" the home again.
A year after the burial the tomb building would begin. (The belief was that beyond a year the dead would come back to complain that they were uncovered and cold.) The burial plot would be cleaned: weeds were removed and some "spirit" (white rum) was added around the plot. Tomb building was usually as big an event as the set-up; those who had not been able to make set-up would try their best to be at the tomb building. Drinking and eating, and recalling memories of the dead person's life, were important parts of tomb building.
At each major Christian festival (Christmas, Easter) or on holidays (especially August) family and friends would clean the family plot and repaint the tomb stones (usually in white).
Since the mid-1970s funeral homes have developed and they now take care of most of the arrangements for burials. "Set up" is now longer than nine nights, maybe several weeks, and burials may be held up to a month after death. During "set up" a new trend is to employ a band to play music (especially drums). Some people still use their family plots for burials, but increasingly public graveyards are used.
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In Jamaica, up until about the 1960s-70s, most families would bury their dead within two days, because many could not pay for morgue fees. Immediately after a death, the practice was to put the body at the back of the house on a tall table covered with zinc sheeting; the body would be wrapped in sheets with an iron on the stomach to stop it swelling. The two big toes would be tied together; the nose, ears and bottom would be plugged to stop flies entering the body; the two arms and hands would be placed at the side of the body. Chipped ice would be placed all around the body, which was then covered with zinc sheeting. It was important that the body be placed somewhere out of the sun. If no visitors from far away were expected the burial would often be within 24 hours of the death.
Carpenters would visit the home with their tools to make a coffin; cut board was usually kept at home in anticipation of the need to make a coffin. Local men in the area would come and start digging a grave; all they needed was drink (mainly white rum) and food (ground provisions). Women in the area would come and help prepare food, serve, clean the home and other household chores.
After the death there is period known as "nine nights". The night before the burial would be the start of "set up": visitors would come to comfort the bereaved, and help in the home. Then the body would be prepared for burial by family and "respected" persons in the community: the body was washed and dressed in the person's favourite clothes. For those who had been regular churchgoers, their coffin would be taken to their church or place of worship, and following the service the body would be buried either in the church graveyard or in the burial plot at the family home. If the dead person had not attended church or a place of worship regularly, a ceremony would be held at home, and the body then buried in the family plot. The burial plot was simply a hole in the ground, covered with earth. After the burial family and friends would continue to visit to comfort the bereaved during a period of nine nights, especially for the first three days and nights, during when it is believed that the dead person will "visit" the home again.
A year after the burial the tomb building would begin. (The belief was that beyond a year the dead would come back to complain that they were uncovered and cold.) The burial plot would be cleaned: weeds were removed and some "spirit" (white rum) was added around the plot. Tomb building was usually as big an event as the set-up; those who had not been able to make set-up would try their best to be at the tomb building. Drinking and eating, and recalling memories of the dead person's life, were important parts of tomb building.
At each major Christian festival (Christmas, Easter) or on holidays (especially August) family and friends would clean the family plot and repaint the tomb stones (usually in white).
Since the mid-1970s funeral homes have developed and they now take care of most of the arrangements for burials. "Set up" is now longer than nine nights, maybe several weeks, and burials may be held up to a month after death. During "set up" a new trend is to employ a band to play music (especially drums). Some people still use their family plots for burials, but increasingly public graveyards are used.
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Two men travelling along a lonely road met a young boy and asked him if he knew where they get some ice. The boy said he knew a place and went to get the ice. The men used the ice to chase their rum. When the ice was finished they asked for more. The boy came back without any ice. "What's wrong? No more ice?" they asked. "There's plenty of ice, but Mama said I can't take anymore from the dead!" replied the boy.
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