A woman’s decision to pour alcohol directly onto a coffin during a burial in Kenya stunned mourners and social media users.
The video was shared on TikTok by user Defelas with the caption, “These funerals are getting out of hand.”
In the footage, the woman approaches the coffin during what appears to be a graveside gathering and pours the drink directly over the casket, seemingly as a tribute to the deceased.
While pouring alcohol as a libation is part of some African traditions of honouring the dead and invoking the presence or blessings of ancestors, the manner in which it was done in the video has drawn strong reactions.
The footage has since triggered a wider discussion about how funeral ceremonies are changing and whether some practices are moving away from what people traditionally consider appropriate at burials.
For some, the act can be viewed as a form of tribute, particularly because libation pouring has cultural roots across Africa.
For others, pouring the drink directly onto the coffin appears to cross the line of what is expected at a formal funeral.
