My partner’s mother is dying.

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They have… a brutal tradition.

The deceased shall remain in the house for 7 days (in a coffin, decorated as a Catholic shrine with flowers, rosaries and statues), and a family member has to babysit the dead until burial on the 7th day.

Sounds vaguely familiar of stories I've heard from a couple generations ago in my family. I think Catholics used to do that here ~90 years ago when my grandmother was a child. My great aunt told a story about one of their siblings' deaths back then. (He fell off a horse and was killed - something like that.)

No one does that here anymore.

North Americans have our own very strange customs when it comes to death. Almost all bodies that are buried are preserved with "embalming fluid," which is some toxic s**t storm of formaldehyde and other chemicals to prevent decay for presentation during open casket viewings before burial. This crazy practice was born in the USA when president Abraham Lincoln was killed. His body was preserved and taken on a farewell tour of sorts.. then everyone else wanted such a presidential goodbye.

f*****g weird not letting bodies rot into the ground and become worm & plant food like they're supposed to.

Cremation is becoming ever more popular, especially with a variety of cultures moved from overseas that all cremate. Pretty energy intense, though, and creates some smoke and all that. Not sure what the Best way is.. just know that people do some weird s**t with the deceased.

^^ Wow. That is brutal.

What if they don't have family members?

My condolences.
People here used to sit with the body until it was buried but it was to keep animals from snacking on the deceased.

There’s always a family member in Filipino families lol.

From wiki:

“In the Philippine wake for example, also known as a lamay, it is tradition that the family and friends hold the body of the deceased in a casket for 5 to 7 days for viewing; this is patterned from the visitation practiced in American wakes, in which they host the deceased's body clothed and treated with various”

My SIL is Filipina. Her grandmother is still alive at 100. What a lovely tradition.

I would hate it. I even hate going to funerals and get out of them whenever possible, so I’ve only been to 2. I prefer mourning for people in private by remembering them as they once were.

I wouldn’t like to observe any of the changes that happen to bodies over the course of 7 days.

I’d imagine that such customs would be very difficult for highly sensitive people.