Customs of Shiva

The customs of Shiva have huge differences from other religions. That is the reason why you need to know about these differences so that when you attended a burial in a Jewish community, you will know what to do and what actions are prohibited. Shiva is the term called to the seven day Jewish mourning. It begins immediately after the burial. This Jewish tradition is the way of assisting mourners to deal with their agony and most of the times, the Jewish burial includes many ceremonies and readings which are participated by the mourners and some visitors that are close to them.

Most of the people who attend Jewish burial became bored because of the several traditional rites, but if you want to get respect from them, you have to understand the customs of Shiva. When it comes to dress, it is recommended for you to wear the right dress. There is actually no dress code for this Jewish tradition. You can wear anything as long as it is decent and not very bright that could ruin the essence of the burial. If you can’t decide what dress is appropriate, think as if you are going to attend a synagogue service. Other Jewish burials also consider informal attire, but if you don’t have any idea on what to wear, you can ask your friend or a Jewish person for some advice about the appropriate dress code.

Another custom of Shiva is that they do not go to work within the Jewish mourning period. Jewish people do not also turn on a radio or TV. They don’t even run errands. Majority of them avoid different types of distraction or entertainment for them to fulfil their needs to grieve. You have to take note that Shiva is the time to acknowledge the sadness and not to suppress it.

There are also various prohibitions during Shiva. It is prohibited to wear new clothes and washing of clothes is also prohibited. Other restrictions on Shiva include no bathing and shaving for men. The Shiva house is usually stocked with desserts and foods. It is a custom for Jewish people not to remove any item in the Shiva house and the return of food is done only after the Shiva period is completed.

It is important to know the dos and don’ts in a Jewish burial. If you are planning to go in a Jewish burial and you still don’t know the things you need to consider, spend some of your time researching for the customs of Shiva. This will give you an idea on what things should be taken for consideration. Remember, even though Jewish people have different burial customs, it is always necessary to show the some respect. If you can’t memorize the dos and don’ts, you can write them down on your notes and bring them on the burial so you will have a guide during the ceremony. You don’t need to expose your notes to other people. Just remember the ones that are very important.