(CNN) -- Funerals in Ghana are not only an occasion to mourn. They are also an opportunity to celebrate the life of the dearly departed. Hardly ever a somber, low-key affair, Ghanaian funerals are a social event attended by a large number of mourners, which could reach hundreds -- the more, the better. "That means the person was very friendly, very charitable, was good to socialize, was having a good communication with the people within the society," says Jamima, a family friend who attends the funeral of the 70-year-old Joanna Boafo in the town of Kumasi. Ghanaians may spend as much money on funerals as on weddings, sometimes even more.
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Ghanaian funerals are an opportunity to celebrate the life of the dearly departed
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A large number of mourners attend funerals -- the more, the better
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Bereaved families have to provide food, drinks, music and dance for their guests
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It is not uncommon for families to go into huge debts to finance expensive funerals
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Ghanaians revere the dead so much that funerals are at the heart of @placeholder' social life.