Akuanism: Difference between revisions
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=== ''Prayer sheets and amulets'' ===
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The funeral practice for Akuanists begin immediately after death of a (or a few days before the expected death), relatives to the moisten the dying or deceased person's lips with ale or small beer, an practice known as ''the last call''. Most devote Akuanist homes maintain a family altar or more wealthier families keep a personal shrine on their property. When a death occurs, the shrine or altar is closed and covered with a white paper to keep out the impure spirits of the dead or accursed. A small table decorated with flowers, incense, and a candle is placed next to the deceased's bed.
The relatives and authorities are informed, and a death certificate is issued by the regional government. Funeral arrangements are typically made by the eldest child and are begun by contacting the local brewmaster to schedule the event. Some days are more auspicious than others, based on the Vaaran calendar and the lunar cycle. For a example midwinter and a full moon is considered to be a excellent day for a wedding and awful day for a funeral, as the spirits of harmony can carry the couples wishes to the heavens but blind the spirits to carry the dead. However if it's midwinter but with a no moon, is a good day for a funeral but a bad day for a wedding, as the spirits of the dead that hide from the moon's light can carry the deceased towards the sky without being blinded.
The body is washed thoroughly and the orifices are blocked with either cotton, gauze or cork. Then the next part of the ritual takes place, where a professional burial maiden (''can be either sex)'' ritually dress the body in pure white dress and further prepares the body and places it into the coffin. The deceased always wear a white, thin cloth dress regardless of gender and makeup is applied on the face. The coffin will remain open for several hours, during which burnable items which the deceased was fond of such as cigarettes or candy are placed into the casket by family members.
==== Wake ====
Held as soon as possible after the death. All funeral guests wear black and carry a set of prayer beads to honor the deceased. People attending the wake or funeral offer condolence money or drinks to the host/hostess, the money arriving in black-and-silver envelopes with special markings on it's wax seal. Drinks offered to the host/hostess are usually sweet or fruity in nature, in attempt to bring up the spirits with tasteful drinks. The family members each offer incense three times to the incense urn in front of the deceased. At the same time, the assembled guests will perform the same ritual at another location behind the family members' seat. The wake end once the brewmaster has finished the chant. Each departing guest shares a drink with the host. The closest relatives often stay and keep vigil with the deceased overnight in the same room.
==== Funeral ====
The funeral proper, is usually on the day after the wake. The procedure is similar to the wake, with incense offer to the deceased and small ale offer to the host. While the brewmaster gives a prayer chant. The ceremony differs from the wake, as the deceased is given a new name, as dead return when their names are called. The new name is often extremely long depending on the virtue of the person's lifespan or deeds they have preformed.
At the end of the funeral ceremony, the guests and family place flowers in the casket and around the deceased's head and shoulders before pouring all drinks given to the host/hostess into the casket. Then the casket is sealed and carried to a hearse and transported to the crematorium.
==== Cremation ====
The coffin is placed on a tray outdoors in at crematorium and a trained pyrotechnician contracted by the brewmaster sets the body on fire. The family gathers watches the body burns from a safe distance, where they are to celebrate the memory of the dead. Passing bottle of a the deceased favorite drink around telling stories about them.
After the body is burned, the relatives pick bones out of the ashes and transfer them to the urn using metal chopsticks, two relatives holding the same bone at the same time with their chopsticks. This is the only time for Akuanists it is considered to be proper for two people to hold the same item at the same time with chopsticks. Any other time, holding anything with chopsticks by two people at the same time or passing items with chopsticks to chopsticks is considered to be a major social blunder or tactless. The bones of the feet are picked up first and the bones of the head are picked up last. To ensure the deceased is not upside down in the urn and thus cursed the deceased to see the world upside down. Ashes go to the family grave or to the local shrine graveyard if one's family doesn't have a family grave.
==== Grave ====
Akuanist graves are usually family graves consisting of a stone monument with a place for flowers, incense and empty clean bottles of ale in front of the monument and a chamber or crypt underneath for the ashes.
The date of the grave being raised and family name will be engraved on the side of the monument. The names of the deceased engraved on the urn and not the never on the monument itself. Graves often have a box for business cards, where friends and relatives visiting the grave can drop their business card, informing the caretakers of the grave of the respects the visitor have paid to the deceased.
=== Holidays ===
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