deceased: "Bet the family BBQs are depressing": Viral video of woman burying deceased father in backyard sparks wild reactions online

A video of a woman walking in circles around the tombstone of her deceased father’s grave went viral on social media on June 30, 2023. The woman, @toocuteshanz, aka Shaniboo, uploaded the clip on her TikTok account, which appears to have been dedicated to her late father.

As per the information in Shaniboo’s TikTok bio, her father passed away on March 16, 2023. She has shared videos of her father’s wake and glimpses of the funeral ceremony as well. In Shaniboo’s latest video, which she uploaded on June 19, she can be seen walking around the tombstone, and the place looks like the backyard of her house.

Woman walking around her deceased father's tombstone in her backyard. (Image via TikTok/@toocuteshanz)

She had a glass of alcohol in her hand and was slowly grooving to a song. An outdoor barbecue grill could be seen being used at the back, where some people gathered for some occasion.

On June 30, Daily Loud reposted the video on Twitter, but with an inaccuracy. They mistakenly wrote in the caption that the woman buried her late mother in her backyard, whereas Shaniboo buried her deceased father. One user @amberrodonnell commented that the family barbecues must be depressing.

Expand Tweet

Internet users react to the TikTok woman burying deceased father in her backyard

Burying a loved one is indeed difficult since many people do not want to let go. However, burying someone inside the premises of one's house is not a commonly seen practice. Thus, Shaniboo's video left some people flabbergasted. A few people asked whether it was legal to bury the dead on one's residential property.

Many clarified that this practice is common in African and Jamaican cultures. While some people said that it was a good idea to keep their loved ones close to them even after death, a few others reasoned that they would not like to be reminded of death constantly by burying their loved ones in their houses.

Some also mentioned that the woman might have buried her father in her backyard to avoid paying taxes since taxes don't apply on burial grounds.

Netizens reacted to the viral video of woman burying her late father in her backyard. (Image via TikTok/@toocuteshanz)

The tombstone of Shaniboo’s deceased father read:

“We knew little that morning that God was going to call your name. In life, we loved you dearly. In death we do the same. It broke our hearts to lose you, you did not go alone; for part of us went with you.”

The other videos on her account are also about the various ceremonies held after her father's demise. She posted the video of her deceased father, Huby Powis', wake on April 26. The family is reportedly from Clarendon in Jamaica.

About the author

Amrita is a trends writer at SK POP. She completed her post-graduation in English Language and Literature and has a rich writing experience in covering diverse topics such as blockchain technology, product reviews, travel guides, subtitles, and pop culture. However, her personal interest has always been in popular culture, which has aided her with injecting fresh insights to her stories.

Amrita emphasizes familiarizing herself with the topic at hand before approaching it solely from a writer’s perspective. She usually takes the longer route in sifting through all available information online, and makes use of primary sources and verified/official social media handles to check for consistency in details.

In case of discrepancies, she delves deeper into the primary and secondary sources for clarification, choosing to let go of a detail in case its accuracy cannot be established. She supports this approach by centering objectivity in her reportage, keeping her tone neutral at all times.

When not obsessing over a particular detail in her report, Amrita can be found reading fiction or exploring new shows or movies.

Know More

Edited by Priya Majumdar