WATCH: Loved ones celebrate life through song and dance at a funeral
Friends and family sing and dance at a funeral.
Image: TikTok screenshot
Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy.
While funerals are often solemn occasions filled with grief and reflection, they can also be a time to celebrate the life of the person who has passed.
In some cases, guided by the wishes of the deceased or their family, the tone shifts from mourning to joy, honouring their memory in a more uplifting way.
It's not unusual for people to request a cheerful farewell, asking their loved ones to celebrate rather than grieve.
A recent example from the United Kingdom has captured this spirit.
A video showing mourners dancing and singing at a funeral has gone viral on TikTok.
With over six million views, the clip has touched hearts worldwide and highlighted how many people choose to honour life with joy instead of sorrow.
Staunton Funeral Service offered a glimpse into the funeral when they posted the video on their TikTok account.
Captioned, 'This one's for you Lauren. Hope you heard them all singing their hearts out loud and proud. Rest Easy,' you can see that the church is filled.
This is often a sign that the deceased was popular and loved by many.
In the comment section, a family member shared, 'My cousin Lauren, whose funeral this is, died a week before her 40th birthday. I'm so glad she got the celebration she deserved! She was so loved! She had a heart of gold! RIP my cuz! Love you always.'
The video shows a point in the ceremony where most of the people there start to sing and dance to Whitney Houston's hit song 'I Wanna Dance with Somebody.'
While many people joyously sang along in unison to the upbeat tune, one could see some wiping their tears away, and family members at the front of the church embracing and consoling each other.
Over 12,000 people took to the comment section of the post, expressing how the video impacted them.
'Lauren's energy had to be unmatchable because I'm here in Argentina dancing and singing for her. RIP Lauren, please sing it to my grandma Esme if you find her,' responded one person.
Another wrote, 'If there's any possibility that departed souls can be aware of their own funerals, Lauren's loved ones 100% got her attention with this!
IOL Lifestyle
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
2 hours ago
- The Citizen
Shaka iLembe returns with fierce battles, royal intrigue, and tender romance
After a breathtaking debut that thrilled millions across the country, Shaka iLembe is back, and this time, the stakes are higher, the drama gets deeper, and the legacy even more powerful. The highly anticipated second season of the hit Mzansi Magic series picks up where the first left off: with Shaka no longer just the child of prophecy, but now stepping into his destiny as a leader and military strategist. While the first season explored Shaka's birth, his trials, and the ancestral forces that shaped him, the second season shifts the lens toward his rise as the legendary founder of the Zulu kingdom. Also read: 'A Queen's Lobola' sweeps awards season, bringing home top honours Lemogang Tsipa portrays the adult King Shaka, while Ntando Zondi plays the younger version of the future Zulu king. Tsipa said there was a lot to expect in this second series – power struggles, intense political manoeuvres, fierce battles, and yes, a few steamy romantic moments that show a different side of the man behind the legend. Yet at its heart, the series remains deeply rooted in historical truth, offering a visually stunning and culturally rich retelling of the Zulu kingdom's formation. Asked how he found portraying the transition of Shaka becoming king in the second series, Tsipe said, 'It is a natural progression. For me, it was a surreal kind of experience because it's one of those things where you dream as a person and then pursue that dream. Before Shaka was born, and this [to be king] was supposed to be his destiny, so I think it's a beautiful moment to be able to walk the journey from the start to the fulfillment of what he wanted. Also read: Fourways High presents Beauty and her Beast 'There's a particular side of Shaka that we haven't seen or heard about in the street books that we do explore in the series. A side that he is a bit more tender and romantic.' Wiseman Mncube portrays the late King Zwide KaLanga, a very intense character who is always eager for war. Mncube said tapping into KaLanga's spirit as a character was not easy. 'I always trust myself in anything that I do. Because it is a historical show, obviously we have to research, learn about AboZwide, and ask a lot of questions. So I just told myself, I'll just trust myself, and the script that was given.' Read more: The Last Ranger short film expose harsh realities of rhino poaching To mark the return of the show, fans were treated to a vibrant series of activations, where they met the cast, and even got up close with the elaborate costumes used on screen. The show will premiere its second season on June 15 on Mzansi Magic. Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram, and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We'd love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts! At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
‘Toxic beauty': The rise of ‘looksmaxxing' influencers
Many looksmaxxing influencers appear to have a financial incentive, while pushing unproven and sometimes dangerous techniques to boost sexual appeal. Looksmaxxing influencers – part of an online ecosystem dubbed the 'manosphere' – have surged in popularity across social media, capitalising on the insecurities of young men eager to boost their physical attractiveness to women. In posts across TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, they promote pseudoscientific methods to achieve everything from pouty lips to chin extensions and almond-shaped 'hunter eyes', often while monetising their popularity by endorsing a range of consumer products. In more extreme cases, these influencers advocate taking steroids, undergoing plastic surgery and even 'leg-lengthening' procedures to become more attractive. ALSO READ: Why a flu jab is still the smartest thing you can do this winter While women may pay regular visits to aestheticians or buy new beauty products, spurring a global beauty retail market worth hundreds of billions of dollars, the manosphere at times promotes a DIY approach that draws on the nearest toolbox. 'Babe, what's taking you so long in the bathroom?' reads the caption flashing across a viral TikTok video of a man seen hitting his cheeks with the sharp edge of a hammer, in what he calls his 'skincare routine'. 'Underneath the video are dozens of comments warning that 'bone smashing', also known as the hammer technique, is 'dangerous' while others hail it as a legitimate way to achieve an angular jawline. In other videos, British influencer Oscar Patel promoted 'mewing', an unproven technique that involves pressing the tongue into the roof of the mouth for improving jaw and facial structure. Without offering evidence, he told his nearly 188 000 TikTok followers that such tricks would turn them into a 'PSL god', an internet slang for exceptionally attractive men, short for perfectly symmetrical looks. Toxic combination In another video, US-based TikToker Dillon Latham misleadingly told his 1.7 million followers to whiten their teeth by applying hydrogen peroxide to their teeth with a cotton swab. Some dentists warn that regularly using store-bought peroxide could damage tooth enamel and gums. The looksmaxxing trend is fueling 'an industry of influencers who promote 'perfect bodies and perfect faces', often to feather their own nest,' Siddharth Venkataramakrishnan, an analyst at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, told AFP. 'Among men, this is mixed with the misogyny of the manosphere, which often blames women for male insecurities, creating a toxic combination,' he added. Many looksmaxxing influencers appear to have a financial incentive, frequently leveraging their popularity to promote products ranging from skin cleansers to pheromone perfumes, and even Chinese knock-off watches. ALSO READ: Recipe of the day: Roast chicken on the coals Looksmaxxing is rooted in 'incel' – or involuntarily celibate – communities, an internet subculture rife with misogyny, with men tending to blame women and feminism for their romantic failings. 'The incel ideology is being rebranded to looksmaxxing on TikTok,' Anda Solea, a researcher at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Portsmouth, told AFP. In a study, Solea found that incel-inspired accounts on TikTok were circumventing a ban on hateful language with a focus on looksmaxxing and more palatable words about self-improvement. 'There are a lot of pressures on men – we want to protect women from gender-based violence, but we should also be careful about young men and boys,' Solea said. Deeply damaging Other related maxxing trends have also gained traction, including 'gymmaxxing', which focuses on building muscle, and 'moneymaxxing', which centres on improving financial status, all with the ultimate goal of increasing sexual desirability. Looksmaxxing influencers – many of whom idolise male models such as Australian Jordan Barrett and American Sean O'Pry, have amassed massive followings as algorithms propel their content to millions. These algorithms can lead to real-world harm, experts warn. T he danger was dramatised in the recent Netflix hit Adolescence, which follows the case of a 13-year-old boy accused of killing a classmate after absorbing misogynistic content online. The fictional crime drama references the popular but unfounded '80/20' theory that claims 80% of women are attracted to 20% of men. ALSO READ: What to stream this weekend: 'Adolescence' — entitlement and hatred of females In a study last year, researchers at Dublin City University created fake accounts registered as teenage boys. They reported that their TikTok and YouTube feeds were 'bombarded' with male supremacy and misogynistic content. 'More widely, this does feed into toxic beauty standards which affect men as well as women,' said Venkataramakrishnan, from the Institute for Strategic Dialogue. 'The idea that if you don't look like a Hollywood star, you might as well give up trying for a relationship is deeply damaging.'
IOL News
2 days ago
- IOL News
Mollwane Madiba hits the airwaves in his quest for a matric dance date with Tyla
Will Tyla accept Mollwane Madiba's invitation to the matric dance? Image: Instagram As the matric dance season approaches, excitement builds for many high school students in South Africa. For Mollwane Madiba, the anticipation is particularly intense as he hopes to invite global superstar Tyla to be his date for the upcoming event. Mollwane, a devoted fan of Tyla and son of Princess Tirelo Molotlegi of the Royal Bafokeng Nation, has been on a mission to get the talented singer to accept his invitation. The quest began in February when he launched the 'Mollwane and Tyla for MD' challenge on TikTok, which quickly went viral. In a creative approach, Madiba gathered his schoolmates to create a visually stunning TikTok video that showcased their school spirit and support for him. The video features students asking, 'Who do you think Mollwane is taking to MD?' followed by the unanimous answer, 'Tyla, obviously', highlighting Madiba's status as one of Tyla's biggest fans. Tenacious 'Tyger' In an interview with 5FM's Jodell Tantji, Madiba explained how the idea originated from his love for Tyla. 'I've been a Tyla supporter for a while, and my friends know that I love Tyla,' he shared. The playful banter among his friends about who he would take to the matric dance inspired him to turn the joke into a viral concept. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Next Stay Close ✕ Time is ticking With 10 videos posted and still no response from Tyla, time is running out for the hopeful student. His matric dance is set for June 27, just 17 days away. Recognising the urgency of the situation, 5FM has jumped on the 'Mollwane and Tyla for MD' bandwagon, working to amplify his message to the 23-year-old Grammy Award-winning singer. Madiba remains hopeful and dedicated to his cause, stating, 'I remain faithful.' Like many other 'Tygers' as Tyla's fans are known, he is not just a fan; he is committed to his 'stanship' and showcases his devotion across his TikTok feed. A matric dance is a significant event for many learners, representing a night of glamour, excitement, and celebration for the Grade 12 class. Some high schools choose to celebrate before the stressful exam period, while others hold their dances after the June exams or at the end of the year. In recent years, it has become increasingly popular for learners to invite well-known personalities, including celebrities and social media influencers, to be their dates. With the station's support, Madiba's quest to secure Tyla as his date is gaining momentum, and the countdown to the big night has only just begun.
