( 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 . `` An average funeral should cost between $ 15,000- $ 20,000 , '' says Kwaku , a funeral planner who is in charge of 30 funeral parties on this one day alone . That includes the obligatory giant , colorful billboards that announce funeral arrangements . The billboards , which may cost from nearly $ 600 to $ 3,000 , are placed at strategic spots for everybody to see , often dotting the cities ' skylines . Most funerals are held on the weekends , most frequently on Saturdays . Mourners , usually dressed in black or black and red traditional funeral clothing , may travel to other towns or villages , and in turn they expect the bereaved families to provide food , drinks , music and dance . The extravagance also extends to the caskets . Coffins have become a statement in Ghana . They are usually brightly colored and elaborate . They may have fanciful shapes that resemble the dead 's favorite objects , or represent their profession . Thus , a carpenter may have a coffin shaped like a hammer , or a shoe for a shoemaker . There are also caskets shaped like Coca-Cola bottles and airplanes . Ghanaians revere the dead so much that funerals are at the heart of Ghanaians ' social life . Lavish spending on funerals has invited criticism from political and religious leaders . `` We are investing in the dead rather than the living ... and that is bad , '' legislator Alban Bagbin once said . Charles Gabriel Palmer-Buckle , the Archbishop of Accra , said : `` The surest way to remember the dead is not the type of coffins used to bury them nor is not the type of cloth or T-shirt won during their funerals , but doing something positive for the dead which would benefit the living . '' Funeral rites also involve some official crying by mourners , as well as praying . The Boafos , like many grieving Ghanaian families , hold a church service for Joanna as well . But the rest of the funeral ritual is purely party time . `` I think she would be very happy , '' says Richard , son of Joanna , as mourners are dancing and having a good time . `` I think if she is anywhere , if my mother is anywhere right now , she will be very happy . '' See also : Ghana : Keeping one of Africa 's stars of democracy shining . See also : Bamboo bikes turn around fortunes for working women in Ghana . Yenni Kwok contributed to this report . CNN 's On the Road series often carries sponsorship originating from the countries we profile . However CNN retains full editorial control over all of its reports . Read the policy .
Ghanaian funerals are an opportunity to celebrate the life of the dearly departed . A large number of mourners attend funerals -- the more , the better . Bereaved families have to provide food , drinks , music and dance for their guests . It is not uncommon for families to go into huge debts to finance expensive funerals .