Funerals to Die For: The Craziest, Creepiest, And Most Bizarre Funeral Traditions And Practices Ever - Softcover

True stories that put the, er, "fun" back into funerals!

The hereafter may still be part of the great unknown, but with Funerals to Die For, you can unearth the rich--and often, dark--history of funeral rites. From getting a portrait painted with a loved one's ashes to purchasing a safety coffin complete with bells and breathing tubes, this book takes you on a whirlwind tour of funeral customs and trivia from all over the globe. Inside, you'll find more than 100 unbelievable traditions, practices, and facts, such as:

• The remains of a loved one can be launched into deep space for only $1,000.
• In Taiwan, strippers are hired to entertain funeral guests throughout the ceremony.
• Undertakers for the Tongan royal family weren't allowed to use their hands for 100 days after preparing a king's body.
• In the late 1800s, New Englanders would gulp down a cocktail of water and their family member's ashes in order to keep them from returning as vampires.

Whether you fear being buried alive or just have a morbid curiosity of the other side, Funerals to Die For examines what may happen when another person dies.

Kathy Benjamin’s writing has received more than 100 million hits across some of the most popular humor and trivia websites in the world.
She currently contributes to Cracked and Mental Floss where her articles are regularly some of the most popular for the week, month, and year. She has an article in the September/October issue of Mental Floss magazine, on newsstands now. Her articles have been discussed, and she have been interviewed about them, on radio stations around the world.