Strategies of Facebook users in offering condolences on a death anniversary: A case study from Jordan

Abstract

This paper explores the most frequently used strategies by Jordanian Facebook users when commenting on the death anniversary status of Wasfi al-Tal, a former prime minister of Jordan, who was assassinated in 1971. The corpus comprises 530 comments. The findings reveal the use of nine strategies, e.g., praying for God’s mercy, praying for God’s mercy annexed to wishing the deceased an abode in paradise, praying for God’s mercy in combination with highlighting the uniqueness and unforgettability of the deceased, among others. The findings also uncover that while some Facebook death anniversary related strategies were similar to those associated with offering condolences in general, some other strategies appeared to be solely used for this death anniversary.