Nine nights

Common card · No. 463605

Nine-Night, also known as Dead Yard, is a funerary tradition originating from the Asante people of Western Africa and practiced in several Caribbean countries (primarily Jamaica). It is an extended wake that lasts for nine days, with roots from the Akan culture during a 9-day period of observing the dead known as Dabɔnɛ(say: dah-boh-neh). During this time, friends and family come together to the home of the deceased. They share their condolences and memories while singing hymns and eating food together. In the old days, the nights were calm and reserved for the most part - but that tradition has changed with the times. Today, these gatherings resemble parties much more than they resemble wakes (though this is not true of every "nine-night").

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