Famadihana

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Famadihana

Between June and September

The Malagasy people of Madagascar, an island off the southeast coast of Africa, believe that their deceased ancestors have become intermediaries between the living and God. Because they will spend eternity in their new existence, tombs are built to be much sturdier and more elaborately decorated than houses. The Famadihana is a celebration in which people exhume the remains of their ancestors, treat them to a grand feast and party, replace their burial clothes, and then reintern them. The specific date of a family's Famidihana is determined by a spiritual leader, but, for hygenic reasons, it always takes place sometime during the winter months, when the weather is dry.

SOURCES:
FestWrld: Madag-1999, p. 14

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No references found			They also may invite a pastor to attend a famadihana. Madagascar by Background Notes There is a striking parallel between the practice of wrapping trees and the wrapping of the corpses of ancestors during a highlands ritual known as famadihana for which the island is famous (on famadihana, see Bloch 1994). The Merina landscape in early nineteenth century highlands Madagascar by Bird, Randall / African Arts The asking of the ancestors' blessing prior to ceremonies of circumcision, marriage and famadihana (secondary burial) may also be directed to a standing stone or tomb though it is more normally requested from the living elders. Stonehenge for the ancestors: the stones pass on the message by Pearson, M. Parker / Antiquity			false stull false sunbird false target false tenon false tongue false topaz false twist false warm sector false white rainbow false window False Wireworms false woodgraining false-target generator Falsen, Christian Magnus Falsetto falsework Falstaff Falstaff, Sir John Falster faltung Falun Falun Gong Falwell, Jerry Falwell, Jerry L. falx Famadihana Famagusta famatinite Fame Famennian Stage familial familial aldosterone deficiency familial dysautonomia Familial Mediterranean Fever familial osteochondrodystrophy familial polyposis familial recurring polyserositis familial splenic anemia familiar Familist Familists Family Family Campers & RVers Family Community Family Compact Family Compact of 1761 Family Law family leave Family Member family mold Family Motor Coach Association			falx falx cerebelli falx cerebelli falx cerebelli falx cerebri falx cerebri falx cerebri Falx inguinalis Falx inguinalis falx ligamentosa Falx supina Falx supina Falx supina FAM FAM FAM FAM-D FAM-DGB FAM-M FAM-PII FAM76 Fama Fama Fama Fama Fama and French Three Factor Model Fama, Eugene F. Fama, Fisher, Jensen and Roll FAMA-NCS FAMA-NPS Famadihana FAMADIT FAMAE FAMag FAMAGUE Famagusta Famagusta Famagusta (City) Famagusta (City) Famagusta, Cyprus Famagusta, Cyprus FAMAR FAMAS FAMAS FAMAT FAMATH famatinite FAMB FAMBASE FAMBE Famble FAMBSI FAMC FAMC FAMCC famciclovir FAMCL FAMCO FAMCP FAMCRAF

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