Death is a Fundamental Part of Life

Mourning practices in America are often deeply ingrained in religion. In the early years of America, death was so commonplace that it was seen as a part of life. Religious beliefs led to the idea that death was a rite of passage from one way of being (life) to another (afterlife). Today, death is often seen as a permanent end to life. This makes it difficult to deal with and has led to the American death industry today that keeps death outside the home. Death has gone from a part of life to a taboo subject to be avoided.