Funeral Rites and Customs in Grenada

Funeral rites and customs in the tri-island state of Grenada are deeply rooted in its rich socio-cultural history that originated with the Kalinagos, its first inhabitants and continuing with the French and British colonizers followed by imported African slaves, liberated Africans, and Indentured servants from Southeast Asia. This chapter focuses on a litany of rites and customs that Grenadians perform as part of their grief-stricken response to the dead, particularly their dearly departed. Long ago, the rites and customs begin immediately following the death of an individual with news carriers traversing the village blowing a conch shell while announcing the death in the familiar patois: Sake tan pale lout! Deh ale, deh kitay. Following the announcement was the Wake or Third Night—a prayer meeting for the dead that involves the singing of hymns and the passing of chaplet. In contemporary Grenada, those pre-funeral service and interment rites and customs were well coordinated. The chapter also deals with the funeral service, which differs in character based on the religious beliefs of the deceased and the procession to the burial site, which today is more moderate. The chapter also highlights the latest custom known as the Happy Hour, which is an elaborate version of the repast in practiced in North America and Europe. It is now the most look-forward of the funeral rites and customs in Grenada.