Mourning around the world.
When Charlotte, Princess of Wales, died in childbirth in 1817, history provided an eerie harbinger of Diana's death. "The national shock and sorrow ... seem uncannily familiar now when media coverage gives an entire nation -- and indeed, the world -- instant access to the most tragic of events," wrote Esther Schor, a professor of English at Princeton University.

Some of Schor's writing could have come directly from the recent coverage: "When the morning papers appeared with black borders, the British nation was stunned... Bells tolled from Edinburgh to Dover to Dublin. In France, Germany and Holland, journalists and rulers alike published condolences..."

In "Bearing the Dead" (see the bibliography), Schor argued that the mourning partly served a political purpose, helping unite commoners and royalty, and defining a new public role for the monarchy. You could argue that this new role reached its zenith with Diana.

We got curious about some other cultural approaches to mourning, and dug up (sorry!) these examples.

Japanese Buddhism
The primary Buddhist mourning rituals occur during a 49-day period after the death, says Dennis Klass, professor of religion at Webster University. But if there's "something unsettled" about the death -- say it was caused by an unsolved airline crash or murder, the mourner will say "my 49 days are not over." This sense of non-resolution, Klass says, is echoed by families of murder victims who can't move beyond mourning until legal proceeding are finished.

Judaism
An elaborate set of codes governs the type and duration of mourning. For example, feelings of anger about the death are expressed by a ritual tearing of one's clothing. The seven-day period of mourning called "shiva" imposes an obligation to visit the family in mourning. However, to preserve the mourner's privacy, visitors approach the family silently. That offers the mourners an opportunity to remain in solitude even within the crowd of mourners. To symbolize their sorrow, mourners sit on plain wooden benches during shiva. (See "Communal and Individual Mourning..." in the bibliography)

Mexican Catholicism
The Day of the Dead, on All Hallows Eve, is celebrated by visits to graveyards, where relatives spruce up the grave, have a picnic, and tell stories about the departed. The holiday helps the dead remain part of family life. On a deeper level, this party in the graveyard symbolizes that the wheel of life includes death.

For more on mourning and grieving check out our resources page.