How did Baltic funeral ceremonies resemble wedding ceremonies?

In Baltic funeral ceremonies, the resemblance to wedding rites was rooted in the belief that the dead anticipated a new companion with the same joy that the living feel when welcoming a new in-law.1

To reflect this, the ceremonies incorporated several specific elements:

• Costume and Song: Both the corpse and a selected partner from the living were dressed in elaborate wedding attire.1
• Performance: Participants sang wedding songs and performed dances as part of the funeral proceedings.1
• Symbolism: The living partner served as a symbolic substitute for the new comrade the deceased was expected to meet in the afterlife.1

This practice highlights a core tenet of Baltic religious thought: the boundary between the worlds of the dead and the living was not considered real, as the deceased were believed to continue living invisibly and remained present at significant life events.1