It’s often said that we are born to die. Unfortunately, as we age, we begin losing our loved ones to death at a faster pace. In Western culture, when someone dies, we follow a certain ritual for burying our dead. Unless a person chooses cremation or body donation, we celebrate the lives of the dead with a funeral.

The process includes dressing the body in nice clothing, placing the deceased in a coffin and then burying the person in a graveyard. After the burial we will never see that person again. After the burial, the grieving process can sometimes last for weeks, months or even years.

But when it comes to death, not all cultures handle it the same. For instance, there are people in Indonesia who handle death unlike anything we have ever seen in America.

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to spend a day with a corpse? And not just any corpse, but one that used to be your cousin, parent or even a long dead sibling? I am guessing that would be a hard no.

This week I am going to discuss a small group of villagers that have performed a really strange death ritual for many years. And I can almost guarantee you aren’t familiar with it.

In Indonesia, there is an unusual ritual called the Ma’nene death ritual. Westerners refer to it as the “Ceremony of Cleaning Corpses.” And yes, as a part of their faith, there is a group of people in Indonesia who clean corpses. This ritual probably sounds like something straight out of a Stephen King novel—except, it’s not.

Every three years, people from the Lembang Paton Village dig up the corpses of their loved ones. The corpses are then scrubbed and cleaned, dressed in new clothing and then reburied after a special ceremony. Villagers also repair and clean up damaged coffins or simply replace them with new ones.

Can you imagine this ritual in America? I cannot even consider the thought of digging up a dead loved one. In our culture, grave digging is illegal and reprehensible.

The Ma’nene death ritual began over 900 years ago. People from Indonesia think nothing of it. Most of them have seen it every three years since birth. They also know that after they die, their children will continue the ritual with their corpses. This ceremony is crucial to their belief system.

Those who celebrate the Ma’nene death ritual believe that death doesn’t terminate anyone’s life. Instead, it’s just the beginning process of the deceased to live a new spiritual life. In Christianity, the concept is similar. Christians also believe in eternal life. They believe that after someone dies, their soul departs from their body.

The Ma’nene death ritual has drawn attention from all over the world. Whenever the Lembang Paton villagers celebrate the Ma’nene death ritual, tourist are permitted to witness the ritual—and many do attend.

It’s said the most emotional part of the ceremony is watching family members reunite with their dead loved ones. The ceremony includes singing and families taking many pictures for keepsakes. After the ceremony, the bodies are then reburied until the next ceremony is held three years later.

When I first heard about this ceremony, I was mortified. As a Westerner, I believe in the practice of burying our loved ones and then never disturbing them. Besides, a corpse is an empty shell. It no longer has the capacity to breathe, talk or do anything else.

But death holds a different meaning for the Lembang Paton villagers. They believe corpses must be cared for because there is still a connection between this world and the afterlife. Maybe I have watched too many zombie movies, but redressing and reburying people who have been dead for many years just doesn’t seem natural to me.

I am guessing that after you read this story, you will find yourself curious about the Ma’nene death ritual. You may even want to do some research on this strange ritual. But don’t be shocked if you see something that cannot be unseen.

For instance, you may see a picture of someone’s long dead grandfather with a lit cigarette or a dead woman sitting at a table staring through her soulless eyes. Look at your own risk. But if you get too creeped out, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Marc is a longtime resident of Clermont County and an avid reader. Contact him through his website at www.themarcabe.com or through Facebook: www.Facebook.com/themarcabe or his Twitter account @themarcabe