Dead body digging festival in Madagascar 1
The custom of dancing with corpses, also known as Famadihana ceremony – `bone replacement ceremony` is one of the important holidays in the culture of the Madagascar people in Africa.
The remains were brought to the surface by relatives to meet their descendants.
This custom is believed to have originated in Southeast Asia and spread to Madagascar about 1,500 – 2,000 years ago.
One of the Madagascar tombs.
In the southwest, tombs are built of stone and decorated with wooden statues of people and animals.
People here believe that tombs are the most perfect connection between the living and the dead.
Relatives went into the grave to take out the dead body.
On the day of the holiday, descendants will go into the tomb, shroud the dead, brush off dirt and rocks, then bring out the body or each bone, wrapping it in a new silk sheet.
After taking the body out, the whole family will feed the body with food and drink, then hug the body or lift it up high and dance together.
Carry the corpse up high and dance.
Madagascar people believe that, on this holiday, the dead will return to their families, have fun at the party and will have the feeling of being resurrected in the world.
The deceased play an important role in the daily lives of the living, so they need to be cared for and cared for.
Catholicism and Islam in Madagascar have tried to ban this practice but were unsuccessful.
