A funeral can either be a State or a family ceremony, and it is held in the memory of the deceased person. It entails a set of rites and customs that change according to the deceased's culture and belief system.
Generally at the Christian funerals, the rituals can be classified under three main heads - visitation, funeral and the burial. The first two ceremonies, which are the most essential ones as far as ritualistic aspects are concerned, are discussed below.
The first ceremony is the visitation, when the deceased is laid in a casket for public viewing by friends and relatives. The body is dressed in the finest clothes and adorned with precious jewellery. Some cultures need embalming the deceased for the occasion, while others don't.
During the visitation, a family may also display photographs taken of the deceased while he was alive, or some valuable items that were very dear to the deceased. Some families also run a slideshow or video from the deceased's lifetime.
The visitation ceremony is followed by the second part of rituals, the memorial service, also called funeral, and it is conducted in a church. The casket with the body in it is carried in a vehicle to the church, accompanied by a funeral procession of mourners. The coffin is placed inside the church with an elegant floral arrangement on it.
Funeral services generally include prayers and recitals from the Holy Scriptures and the Bible. The mourners or attendees also sing religious songs in chorus. The priest presiding over the service delivers a comforting speech, and it is followed by tributes or eulogies given by family and friends of the departed, who speak of the latter's merits and accomplishments. Sometimes, attendees are permitted to see the body for the last time before the burial takes place. Church bells may be rung both before and after the service.
Once the first two services are over, the body is taken into a cortege for burial that comprises the third part of the rituals.
Generally at the Christian funerals, the rituals can be classified under three main heads - visitation, funeral and the burial. The first two ceremonies, which are the most essential ones as far as ritualistic aspects are concerned, are discussed below.
The first ceremony is the visitation, when the deceased is laid in a casket for public viewing by friends and relatives. The body is dressed in the finest clothes and adorned with precious jewellery. Some cultures need embalming the deceased for the occasion, while others don't.
During the visitation, a family may also display photographs taken of the deceased while he was alive, or some valuable items that were very dear to the deceased. Some families also run a slideshow or video from the deceased's lifetime.
The visitation ceremony is followed by the second part of rituals, the memorial service, also called funeral, and it is conducted in a church. The casket with the body in it is carried in a vehicle to the church, accompanied by a funeral procession of mourners. The coffin is placed inside the church with an elegant floral arrangement on it.
Funeral services generally include prayers and recitals from the Holy Scriptures and the Bible. The mourners or attendees also sing religious songs in chorus. The priest presiding over the service delivers a comforting speech, and it is followed by tributes or eulogies given by family and friends of the departed, who speak of the latter's merits and accomplishments. Sometimes, attendees are permitted to see the body for the last time before the burial takes place. Church bells may be rung both before and after the service.
Once the first two services are over, the body is taken into a cortege for burial that comprises the third part of the rituals.
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