Christian Funeral Customs And Traditions
A funeral is a family (or a State) ceremony held to honour a deceased person. It entails a set of rites and rituals that vary according to the deceased’s religion and culture.
A majority of Christian funerals have rites that are categorised into three main parts – visitation, funeral and finally, the burial. The first two ceremonies, which are the most essential ones as far as rites and rituals are concerned, are discussed below.
The first ceremony is the visitation, when the body is placed in a coffin for public viewing by friends and relatives. The body is mostly adorned with the finest garments and jewels belonging to the deceased. Anointing of the deceased for this occasion is not a compulsory ritual in every community.
During the visitation, family members may also display photographs taken of the deceased while he was alive, or some precious possessions that were very dear to the deceased. Some relatives also like to do a video or slideshow from the lifetime of the deceased.
The visitation is followed by the next service, the memorial service, also known as funeral, and it is conducted in a church. The casket is then taken to the church in a hearse and the friends and relatives of the deceased follow the vehicle. The coffin with its floral arrangement is then housed in the church.
Funeral services normally include prayers and readings from the Bible or the Holy Scriptures. The mourners or attendees also sing devotional songs in chorus. 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 fondly recollect the deceased and his life. Sometimes, mourners are permitted to see the body for the last time before the burial takes place. Church bells may be rung both before the service and after it.
Once these services are over, the body is taken in a funeral procession for burial, which marks the end of the funeral ceremony.
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