For most nations, death is the end of our time in the physical world. But not for the Torajan people living on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi.

According to their ancient tradition, the departed continue to “live” with their family after they die – for weeks, months, even years. The Torajan people keep their relatives’ and loved ones’ corpses as part of the family.

Throughout this process, the deceased are given prayers and even offered food. Relatives don’t stop even if the late is placed in a tomb. Sometimes they give a “second funeral,” called a ma’nene’ ceremony. During the rite, the families clean their bodies, provide them with fresh clothes and parade them around.

By the way, the Lord’s Prayer and readings from the Bible often accompany these traditions. It’s unclear how long this tradition has gone on for. But archeologists suggest the practice could date back over 1,000 years.

The video from National Geographic documents this very curious case: