“Cry Dies” or death memorials celebrated after a year in honour
of the love one that passed away. Cameroonians are well known for the way they
celebrate their cry dies. This is a memorial festival that is organized and celebrated
a year after a person dies. This period is always very emotional as family
members and friends turn back to those sweet memories they once shared with
this loved one. Weeks and even months before the day of the event, several
family meetings are held to raise funds for the occasion and to plan for the
day activities. Some families go to an extent of designing and printing invitation
cards for the events outlining the activities that will be done the day before
the day of the ”cry die” and the day of the “cry die” event. For some families
that have other relatives in distant places, travel will be required. Some
relations out of Cameroon, travel back home just for the “cry die” because it
has a huge meaning in our culture. The man in the picture below has to wear his
mother’s dress every year on the day she died to emphasis his love for his late
mother who passed away in 2008.
