Christian Funerals As Rituals Of Letting Go
Death is part of the cycle of life. Even if this is the case, we still cannot avoid feeling the sorrow whenever someone who is very close to us passes away. A relinquishing rite should be performed. As rituals of letting go, funeral services may give the closure that is required.
A funeral can either be a State or a family ceremony, and it is held in the memory of the departed person. It is a series of related rites or rituals that are unique to one’s culture or religion.
A majority of Christian funerals have rites that are divided into three essential parts – visitation, funeral and burial. The funeral and visitation rituals have a lot more importance as far as ritualistic aspects are concerned and they are detailed below.
Visitation is the part that comes first, when the deceased’s body is put in a casket for the family and friends to see. The body is dressed up in the finest attire and any jewelery that belonged to the departed. Some cultures require embalming the body for the occasion, while others don’t.
Some families prefer displaying memories from the life of the dead person during the visitation in the form of photos and personal items that were prized belongings of the dead person. Some people even play a video recording or run a slideshow from the lifetime of the deceased.
This ceremony is followed by a memorial service, also known as a funeral, which is held normally inside a church. The casket containing the dead body is put in a vehicle and carried to the church along with a group of mourners, who accompany the carriage. Then the coffin is brought with its floral arrangement and housed in the church.
Funeral services usually include chants and recitals from the Bible or the Holy Scriptures. Devotional songs are also sung in chorus by the attendees. The pastor presiding over the ceremony gives a comforting speech, followed by tributes or eulogies given by relatives and close friends of the deceased, who speak of the latter’s good qualities and achievements. Sometimes, mourners are permitted to view the deceased for the last time before it is taken for burial. Church bells may be rung both before the service and after it.
Once the first two parts of the ceremony are complete, the body is taken into a vehicle for burial that comprises the third part of the rituals.
Searching for the best casket? Entrust the delicate matter of funeral arrangements in the hands of compassionate professionals.
Related posts: