The Rituals In Christian Funerals
A funeral is a family (or a State) ceremony held in honour of a deceased person. It involves a set of rites and customs that change according to the deceased’s culture and belief system.
A majority of Christian funerals have ceremonies that can be categorized into three types of events – visitation, funeral and in the end, the burial. The first two ceremonies, which are the most important ones as far as ritualistic aspects are concerned, are discussed here.
Visitation is the part that comes first, when the deceased’s body is put in a coffin for the friends and relatives to see. The body is adorned in the best clothes and any jewels that belonged to the person who has died. Anointing of the body for this occasion is not a compulsory ritual in every culture.
During the visitation, family members may also exhibit photographs taken of the departed while he was alive, or some precious possessions that were very dear to the dead person. Some families also play a slide show or video of the deceased.
This ceremony is succeeded by a memorial service, also known as a funeral, which is held usually at a church. The coffin is then brought to the church in a hearse and the family and friends of the deceased follow the hearse. The coffin is laid inside the church with an elegant floral decoration on it.
Funeral services normally include chants and readings from the Holy Scriptures and the Bible. Devotional songs are also sung in chorus by the attendees. This is followed by a comforting speech delivered by the pastor presiding over the funeral service and eulogies by the family and friends, who then share their personal thoughts about the deceased’s life. Quite often, the people assembled are permitted to see the body for one last time before the burial. Church bells are also sometimes rung after the service.
Once the first two parts of the ceremony are complete, the body is taken into a cortege for burial that comprises the last phase of the rituals.
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