African Death Rituals? Rites of Passage Project Worthy?

Both of my parents were Nigerian. From what they've told me of their people, ancestor worship was a huge thing there. My father was believed to be the reincarnation of his dead uncle, and my great grandfather made food offerings to the dead and a "chi" that appeared to have been eaten by the end of the day (my mom and other children picked it up and ate it when they were hungry). A place with that much respect for the dead would know doubt see a funeral as a "right of passage" of sorts. Even without the ancestor worship angle, funerals in Nigeria are followed by large celebrations. The larger the celebration, the bigger the tribute to the dead person I guess is the reasoning.