Estate Planning

Death is only the Beginning...

By Hull & Hull LLP

An article from mental_floss magazine has showcased ten things a body can do after death. My particular favourites are:

1. Get Married! In China, ghost marriages —the practice of setting up deceased relatives with suitable spouses, dead or alive— is on the rise. The marriages serve a religious function by making the deceased happier in the afterlife.
2. Go Green! Cremation uses up a lot of energy and nonrenewable resources. In Europe, some crematoriums have ‘gone green'. These crematoriums have found a way to replace conventional boilers by harnessing the heat produced in their fires. Beginning in 1997, the Swedish city of Helsingborg has used local crematoriums to supply 10 percent of the heat for its homes.
3. Stand Trial! In 897 CE, Pope Stephen VI accused former Pope Formosus (who had died nine months earlier!) of perjury and violation of church canon.  Pope Stephen VI proceeded to exhume the dead pope's body, and put the corpse on trial and subject it to a full cross-examination - the so-called "Cadaver Synod".  The following year, Formosus' conviction was overturned and his body was reburied with full honours. 

For the complete list, check out the article at http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/24833.

Have a great weekend!
Bianca La Neve

Full post as published by Toronto Estate Law Blog on August 14, 2009 (boomark / email).