In

Eurasian

homes,

certain

rituals

must

be

followed

when

a

death

occurs.

The

body

is

kept

in

the

house,

usually

for

two or three days.

In

the

past,

the

body

was

always

buried,

and

even

today,

among

elderly

Eurasians,

the

act

of

burial,

of

throwing

the

earth,

of

arranging

the

wreaths

and

saying

prayers

at

the

grave

site

helps

to

assuage

their

sor-

row.

During

the

wake,

people

come

to

pay

their

last

respects.

Prayers

for

the

dead

are

recited

at

hourly

intervals.

On

the

night

before

the

fu-

neral,

family

members

keep

an

all-night vigil.

On

all

nights

prior

to

the

funeral,

refreshments

and

even

light

meals

are

offered

to

the

guests.

A

Christian

mass

is

held

and

the

coffin

is

sealed.

Eurasian burial culture