A dead man/woman in Romania gets a lot of attention. There are traditions that transform a dead body in priority number one. The south Romanian part it is known by the customs by which a dead body is buried. In addition, a woman needs to take in a small bag: bird seeds, garlic and 4 skewers. When the body is taken to the cemetery, the woman spreads the bird seeds and the garlic (it also can be buried along with the body), and the 4 skewers are stacked in the four corners of the grave.
After being buried, three women go to the grave with incense, but they are not aloud to talk one to each other or with somebody else while walking to the grave. They believe that that speaking with somebody while walking to the grave it is a big sin. But they are aloud to talk when they return.
In southern part of Romania when someone is on the point of dying, a candle is put near his had, so that his soul can see on the other land, where is dark and where Satan will be scared of the light. The person who keeps the light in his hand must be of the same gender as the one who dies. When the person died, a close member of the family or the one with the candle will close the eyes of the dead saying: “Forgive Him God”. After this, his/her bathing is being prepared. The dead man must be very clean because he/she will meet God.
Afterwards, he's placed, usually, on a table in the middle of the house and his hands are putted on his chest: the right over the left. On his chest is also placed an icon or a cross carved from wood and a coin is bounded on his small finger, with which the dead will pay the man who will cross the river towards heaven. Over the body is strewn a white canvas (named shroud), which is said to protect the dead against the fire in his way to heaven. In the room or even in the whole house, the mirrors are turned towards the wall, or they are covered with canvas, 'cause it's said, if the dead sees himself in the mirror , he becomes a poltergeist. Right on no dogs, or cats are not aloud in the house, because, if an animal would pass over or under the dead's body, he will become a poltergeist and his soul, in his agony, will go in one of these tref animals. On his chest is also placed a spiral out of clay, made from candles sticked head to head; it's length reaching the size of the coffin. Lately, the spiral can be bought from the market, but it's length does not respect the traditions. The spiral is taken afterwards by one of the women which incenses it in the honour of the dead for 40 days, being lit everytime at the grave. In some places, people use to put a silver tree in front of the house, so people know that someone died there. But before that the annouce it with a dirge. If a man dies or a child, then the mother or the wife or some other woman from the house starts bemoaning him, first above them, then they go out, first on the doorstep than at each corner of the house. After the body is taken out of the yard ( or the house), the ones remained inside close the doors and the windows, so that death won't come back in the house and take someone. Also when the body is brought out of the house, it's habitat to break a pot by one of the house, or sometimes, a woman breaks a fork. The house is not brimmed when the corpse is inside, only after they get him out and got on the road to church with him, one outside the family cleans the house. In some areas, the coffin is covered before going out of the house; in others, only after the church service, after it's said:" Come, brothers, and give the dead the last kiss" or , the most often , at the cemetery, when it's buried. After the coffin is placed, the priest seals the hole, throwing 3 scoops of dirt or doing with the spade or the scoop a cross in the four corners of the hole, saying:" This grave is sealed (...) in the name of the Father, of the Son, and the Holly Spirit. Amen!" Everybody says, in worship :" God rest his soul" Than, when they come back from the funeral, by the first fountain or home, all must wash their hands, so they clean unholy spirits. People believe that, it they do this by the book, the man's soul will pass easy all the customs and will arrive well in the front of the Great Judge.
