A funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. A ceremony is an activity infused with Ritual significance performed on a special occasion Death is the termination of the biological functions that define living Organisms It refers both to a specific Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor. A monument is a structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit These customs vary widely between cultures, and between religious affiliations within cultures. In some cultures the dead are venerated; this is commonly called ancestor worship. The word funeral comes from the Latin funus, which had a variety of meanings, including the corpse and the funerary rites themselves. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome.
Funeral rites are as old as the human race itself, as well as other hominids. For example, in the Shanidar cave in Iraq, Neanderthal skeletons have been discovered with a characteristic layer of pollen, which suggests that Neanderthals buried the dead with gifts of flowers. The cave site of Shanidar is located in the Zagros Mountains of Kurdistan in Iraq. A cave is a natural underground void large enough for a human to enter For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Iraq topics. The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from In Biology, the skeleton is a strong and often a rigid framework that supports the body of an animal holding it upright and giving it shape and strength (Also skeletal Pollen is a fine to coarse powder consisting of microgametophytes ( pollen grains) which produce the male Gametes (sperm cells of The Neanderthal (neɪˈændərtɑːl also with /niː-/ and /-θɔːl/ or Neandertal, is an extinct member of the Homo genus that is known from A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also This has been interpreted as suggesting that Neanderthals believed in an afterlife, and in any case were aware of their own mortality and were capable of mourning. AfterLife is a film drama set in Scotland directed by Alison Peebles made in 2003 about an ambitious Scottish journalist forced to choose between Mourning is in the simplest sense synonymous with Grief over the Death of someone
Religious funerals
Jewish funerals
Buddhist funerals
Catholic Christian funerals
Hindu funerals
Islamic funerals
Sikh funerals
In Sikhism death is considered a natural process. Bereavement in Judaism ( is a combination of Minhag (traditional custom and Mitzvot (good deeds or religious obligation derived from Judaism 's classical In Buddhism, death marks the transition from this life to the next for the deceased A Catholic Funeral refers to the Funeral Rites specifically in use in the Roman Catholic Church. Antyesti or Hindu funeral rites, is an important sacrament of Hindu society Funerals in Islam follow fairly specific Rites though they are subject to some interpretation and local variation in custom Sikhism ( IPA: or; ਸਿੱਖੀ sikkhī, IPA:) founded on the teachings of Nanak and nine successive gurus in fifteenth century An event that has absolute certainty and only happens as a direct result of God's Will or Hukam. Hukam is a Punjabi word derived from the Arabic Hukm, meaning "command" or "order To a Sikh, birth and death are closely associated, because they are both part of the cycle of human life of "coming and going" ( ਆਵਣੁ ਜਾਣਾ , Aana Jaana) which is seen as transient stage towards Liberation ( ਮੋਖੁ ਦੁਆਰੁ , Mokh Du-aar), complete unity with God. Sikh (English or; ਸਿੱਖ sikkh, IPA) is the title and name given to an adherent of Sikhism. Sikhs thus believe in reincarnation.
However, by contrast, the soul itself is not subject to the cycle of birth and death. Death is only the progression of the soul on its journey from God, through the created universe and back to God again. In life, a Sikh always tries to constantly remember death so that he or she may be sufficiently prayerful, detached and righteous to break the cycle of birth and death and return to God.
The public display of grief at the funeral or Antam Sanskar as it is called in the Sikh culture, such as wailing or crying out loud is discouraged and should be kept to a minimum. "Antam" or "Antim" mean Final or Last. "Sanskar" means ritual rite ceremony service. Cremation is the preferred method of disposal, although if this is not possible any other methods such as burial or submergence at sea are acceptable. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground Worship of the dead with gravestones, etc. is discouraged, because the body is considered to be only the shell and the person's soul is their real essence.
On the day of the cremation, the body is taken to the Gurdwara or home where hymns (Shabads) from the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scriptures are recited by the congregation, which induce feeling of consolation and courage. The Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji (ਗੁਰੂ ਗ੍ਰੰਥ ਸਾਹਿਬ gurū granth sāhib) or Guru Granth Sahib, is the eleventh and eternal Guru of the Kirtan may also be performed by Ragis while the relatives of the deceased recite "Waheguru" sitting near the coffin. Kirtan ( Sanskrit - "to repeat" is call-and-response chanting performed in India's devotional traditions Finger millet ( Eleusine coracana, Amharic ዳጉሳ "Dagusa" or ቶኩሶ tōkūsō) also known as African millet or Ragi Waheguru (ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ vāhigurū or pa ਵਾਹਗੁਰੂ vāhgurū; also transliterated Vahiguru)It is the term used in Sikhism This service normally takes from 30 to 60 minutes. At the conclusion of the service, an Ardas is said before the coffin is taken to the cremation site. The Ardās (ਅਰਦਾਸ is a Sikh prayer that is done before performing or after undertaking any significant task after reciting the daily Banis (prayers or
At the point of cremation, a few more Shabads may be sung and final speeches are made about the deceased person. Then the Kirtan Sohila, night time prayer is recited and finally Ardas called the "Antim Ardas" ("Final Prayer") is offered. Kirtan Sohila Three Gurus – Guru Nanak, Guru Ram Das and Guru Arjan - contributed five shabads on the pain of separation and celebrating the bliss of The Ardās (ਅਰਦਾਸ is a Sikh prayer that is done before performing or after undertaking any significant task after reciting the daily Banis (prayers or The eldest son or a close relative generally starts the cremation process – light the fire or press the button for the burning to begin. This service usually lasts about 30 to 60 minutes.
The ashes are later collected and disposed by immersing them in the nearest river. Sikhs do not erect monuments over the remains of the dead.
After the cremation ceremony, there may be another service at the Gurdwara, the Sikh place of worship, call the Sahaj Paath Bhog Ceremony but this is optional. The Sahaj Paath is a reading of all the pages of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh Scriptures which can be done at the reader's schedule Bhog (which in literal etymology means 'pleasure' or 'delight' is the term used in the Sikh religion for the observances that are fulfilled along with the reading of the concluding
Funerals in Japan
Funerals in contemporary North America
Traditional funerals
Within the United States and Canada, in most cultural groups and regions, the funeral rituals can be divided into three parts: visitation, funeral, and the burial service. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page A ritual is a set of actions often thought to have Symbolic value the performance of which is usually prescribed by a Religion or by the Traditions
Visitation
At the visitation (also called a "viewing" or "wake") the body of the deceased person (or decedent) is placed on display in the casket (also called a coffin, however almost all body containers are caskets). In Funeral services a viewing (sometimes called reviewal funeral visitation or a wake in the United States and Canada) is A wake is a Ceremony associated with death Traditionally a wake takes place in the house of the deceased with the body present however modern wakes are often performed at A casket, or a jewellery box is a receptacle for Trinkets and jewels. The viewing often takes place on one or two evenings before the funeral. The body is traditionally dressed in the decedent's best clothes. In recent times there has been more variation in what the decedent is dressed in - some people choose to be dressed in clothing more reflective of how they dressed in life. The body will often be adorned with the usual jewelry, including a watch. The jewelry and watch could be taken off and given to the family of the deceased, or remain in the casket after burial, but it most likely will be removed before cremation. The body may or may not be embalmed, depending upon such factors as the amount of time since the death has occurred, religious practices, or requirements of the place of burial. Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition
The only prescribed aspects of this gathering are that frequently the attendees sign a book kept by the deceased's survivors to record who attended and that the attendees are expected to view the deceased's body in the coffin. In addition, a family may choose to display photographs taken of the deceased person during his/her life (often, formal portraits with other family members and candid pictures to show "happy times"), prized possessions and other items representing his/her hobbies and/or accomplishments. A more recent trend is to create a DVD with pictures and video of the deceased, accompanied by music, and play this DVD continuously during the visitation. DVD (also known as " Digital Versatile Disc " or " Digital Video Disc " - see Etymology)is
The viewing is either "open casket", in which the embalmed body of the deceased has been clothed and treated with cosmetics for display; or "closed casket", in which the coffin is closed. The coffin may be closed if the body was too badly damaged because of an accident or fire or other trauma, deformed from illness or if someone in the group is emotionally unable to cope with viewing the corpse. During an open casket.
However, this step is foreign to Judaism; Jewish funerals are held soon after death, and the corpse is never displayed. As well, Jewish law forbids anyone to embalm the body of the deceased. Traditionally flowers (and music) are not sent to a grieving Jewish family as it is a reminder of the life that is now lost. (See also Jewish bereavement. Bereavement in Judaism ( is a combination of Minhag (traditional custom and Mitzvot (good deeds or religious obligation derived from Judaism 's classical )
The decedent's closest friends and relatives who are unable to attend frequently send flowers to the viewing, with the exception of a Jewish Funeral [1], where flowers would not be appropriate (and donations are given to a charity instead). A flower, also known as a bloom or Blossom, is the reproductive structure found in Flowering plants (plants of the division Magnoliophyta, also The viewing typically takes place at a funeral home, which is equipped with gathering rooms where the viewing can be conducted, although the viewing may also take place at a church. A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and Funeral services for the deceased and their families In earlier history, it was common practice in some of the states in the southeastern United States that the body was taken to the decedent’s home or that of a relative for viewing. The viewing may end with a prayer service; in the Catholic funeral, this may include a rosary. The Rosary (from Latin rosarium, meaning "rose garden" or "garland of roses" is a popular traditional Roman Catholic devotion.
A visitation is often held the evening before the day of the funeral. However, when the deceased person is elderly the visitation may be held immediately preceding the funeral. This allows elderly friends of the deceased a chance to view the body and attend the funeral in one trip, since it may be difficult for them to arrange travel; this step may also be taken if the deceased has few survivors or the survivors want a funeral with only a small number guests.
A traditional Fire Department funeral consists of two raised aerial ladders. The firefighter(s) travel under the aerials on their ride on the fire apparatus to the cemetery.
Funeral
A memorial service, often called a funeral and often officiated by clergy from the decedent's or bereaved's church or religion. Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. A religion is a set of Tenets and practices often centered upon specific Supernatural and moral claims about Reality, the Cosmos A funeral may take place at either a funeral home or church. A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and Funeral services for the deceased and their families A funeral is held according to the family's choosing which may be a few days after the time of death, allowing family members to attend the service.
The deceased is usually transported from the funeral home to a church in a hearse, a specialized vehicle designed to carry casketed remains. For the extreme metal band see Hearse (band A hearse is a Funeral Vehicle, a conveyance for the Coffin The deceased is often transported in a procession, with the hearse, funeral service vehicles, and private automobiles traveling in a procession to the church or other location where the services will be held. In a number of jurisdictions, special laws cover funeral processions - such as requiring other vehicles to give right-of-way to a funeral procession. Funeral service vehicles may be equipped with light bars and special flashers to increase their visibility on the roads. After the funeral service, if the deceased is to be buried the funeral procession will proceed to a cemetery if not already there. If the deceased is to be cremated the funeral procession may then proceed to the crematory.
Funeral services include prayers; readings from the Bible or other sacred texts; hymns (sung either by the attendees or a hired vocalist); and words of comfort by the clergy. Prayer is the act of attempting to communicate with a Deity or spirit Etymology According to the Online Etymology Dictionary, the word bible is from Latin biblia, traced from the same word through Medieval Latin and Late Latin A hymn is a type of Song, usually religious specifically written for the purpose of praise adoration or Prayer, and typically addressed to a deity/deities Clergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given Religion. Frequently, a relative or close friend will be asked to give a eulogy, which details happy memories and accomplishments; often commenting on the deceased's flaws, especially at length, is considered impolite. A eulogy is a speech or writing in Praise of a person or thing Sometimes the delivering of the eulogy is done by the clergy. Clergy are often asked to deliver eulogies for people they have never met. Church bells may also be tolled both before and after the service. Church bells are rung at Christian Funeral services as they are rung at other services
Tradition also allows the attendees of the memorial service to have one last opportunity to view the decedent's body and say good-bye; the immediate family (siblings (and their spouses); followed by the decedent's spouse, parents and children) are always the very last to view their loved one before the coffin is closed. This opportunity can take place immediately before the service begins, or at the very end of the service.
During funerals, bagpipes are sometimes played. Bagpipes are a class of Musical instrument, Aerophones using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag Curiously, at a police officer's or firefighter's funeral, the pipes are usually Great Highland Bagpipes, not the Uillean pipes usually played by Irish musicians. The Great Highland Bagpipe ( Gaelic: A' Phìob Mhòr) is probably the best-known variety of Bagpipe. Irish Music is the generic term for music that has been created in various genres on the entire island of Ireland, North and South of the border In the United States, police officers and firefighters are often of Irish, but seldom of Scottish descent. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the This custom was quite obvious in the funerals of emergency workers killed in the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks.
During the funeral and at the burial service, the casket may be covered with a large arrangement of flowers, called a casket spray. If the decedent served in a branch of the Armed forces, the casket may be covered with a national flag; however nothing should cover the national flag according to Title 4, United States Code, Chapter 1, Paragraph 8i. The United States Code ( USC) is a compilation and Codification of the general and permanent federal Law of the United States.
Funeral customs vary from country to country. In the United States, any type of noise other than quiet whispering or mourning is considered disrespectful.
Note: In some religious denominations, for example, Roman Catholic and Anglican, eulogies are prohibited or discouraged during this service, in order to preserve respect for traditions. Church (disambiguation A religious denomination is a subgroup within a Religion that operates under a common name tradition and identity Anglicanism is a tradition of Christian faith Churches in this tradition either have historical connections to the Church of England or have similar beliefs Also, for these religions, the coffin is traditionally closed at the end of the wake and is not re-opened for the funeral service.
Burial service
A burial service, conducted at the side of the grave, tomb, mausoleum or crematorium, at which the body of the decedent is buried or cremated at the conclusion. Sir John Everett Millais 1st Baronet, PRA ( June 8, 1829 &ndash August 13, 1896) was an English painter Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground A grave is a place where a dead body (usually a human although sometimes an animal is buried For the New York prison see The Tombs. A Tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire
Sometimes, the burial service will immediately follow the funeral, in which case a funeral procession travels from the site of the memorial service to the burial site. Other times, the burial service takes place at a later time, when the final resting place is ready.
If the decedent served in a branch of the Armed forces, military rites are often accorded at the burial service. For the military meaning see Armed forces. For the Soviet sports society see Armed Forces (sports society Armed Forces Military rites are honors presented at a Funeral for a member of a Military or Police force
In many religious traditions, pallbearers, usually males who are close, but not immediate relatives (such as cousins, nephews or grandchildren) or friends of the decedent, will carry the casket from the chapel (of a funeral home or church) to the hearse, and from the hearse to the site of the burial service. A pallbearer is one of several Funeral participants who helps carry the Casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or A funeral home, funeral parlor or mortuary, is a business that provides burial and Funeral services for the deceased and their families Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground The pallbearers often sit in a special reserved section during the memorial service. A pallbearer is one of several Funeral participants who helps carry the Casket of a deceased person from a religious or memorial service or
According to most religions, coffins are kept closed during the burial ceremony. In Eastern Orthodox funerals, the coffins are reopened just before burial to allow loved ones to look at the deceased one last time and give their final farewells. The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world
The morticians will typically ensure that all jewelry, including wristwatch, that were displayed at the wake are in the casket before it is buried or entombed. It would be unseemly to have the decedent's heirs squabbling over a Rolex or an engagement ring. Custom requires that everything goes into the ground.
There is an exception, in the case of cremation. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire Such items tend to melt or suffer damage, so they are usually removed before the body goes into the furnace. Pacemakers are removed prior to cremation - if they were left in they could possibly explode and damage the crematorium.
Luncheon
In many traditions, a meal or other gathering often follows the burial service. This gathering may be held at the decedent's church or another off-site location. Some funeral homes have large spaces set aside to provide funeral dinners.
For Irish descendants, An Irish Wake usually lasts 3 full days. Ireland (pronounced /ˈaɾlənd/ Éire) is the third largest island in Europe, and the twentieth-largest island in the world On the day after the wake the funeral takes place. Family members and friends will ensure that there is always someone awake with the body, traditionally saying prayers.
Etiquette
Generally speaking, the number of people who are considered obliged to attend each of these three rituals by etiquette decreases at each step:
- Distant relatives and acquaintances may be called upon to attend the visitation. Etiquette is a code that governs the expectations of Social behavior, according to the contemporary conventional norm within a Society,
- The decedent's closer relatives and local friends attend the funeral or memorial service, and subsequent burial (if it is held immediately after the memorial service).
- If the burial is on the day of the funeral, only the decedent's closest relatives and friends attend the burial service (although if the burial service immediately follows the funeral, all attendees of the memorial service are asked to attend). Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground
Traditionally etiquette dictated that the bereaved and other attendees at a funeral wear semi-formal clothing—such as a suit and tie for men or a dress for women. The man's suit of clothes is a set of garments which are crafted from the same cloth The most traditional and respectful color is solid black (with a matching solid black tie for men) preferably without any underlying pinstripes or patterns in the weave. But failing that charcoal gray or dark navy blue may be worn. Wearing short skirts, low-cut tops, t-shirts with advertising slogans or suggestive images, or, at Western funerals, a large amount of white (other than a button-down shirt or blouse, or a military uniform) is often seen as disrespectful. Women who are grieving the death of their husband or a close partner sometimes wear a veil to conceal the face, although the veil is not common now. Increasingly, the deceased have requested before their death that the attendees of their funeral should wear something of their favorite colour or wear something specific (namely a football shirt). They do this as the black did not reflect their outgoing personality.
Private services
On occasion, the family of the deceased may wish to have only a very small service, with just the deceased's closest family members and friends attending. This type of ceremony means it is closed to the public. One may only go to the funeral if one is invited. In this case, a private funeral service is conducted. Reasons vary but often include the following:
- The deceased was an infant (possibly, they may have been stillborn) or very aged, and therefore has few surviving family members or friends. A stillbirth occurs when a Fetus which has died in the Uterus or during labor or delivery exits a Woman 's body
- The deceased may be a crime victim or a convicted criminal who was serving a prison sentence. In this case, the service is made private either to avoid unwanted media coverage (especially with a crime victim); or to avoid unwanted intrusion (especially if the deceased was convicted of murder or sexual assault).
- The family does not feel able to endure a traditional service (due to emotional shock) or simply wants a quiet, simple funeral with only the most important people of the deceased's life in attendance.
- The family and/or the deceased, as more frequently preplanned, prefer simplicity and lower cost to that of traditional arrangements. The choice of cremation as an option to casketed burial is increasing and often includes disposition of the cremains at a time privately convenient to the deceased's family members.
- The deceased is of a distinct celebrity status, and holding public ceremony would result in too many guests who are not acquainted with the deceased to participate. A celebrity is a widely-recognized or famous person who commands a high degree of public and media attention On the other hand, if a state funeral is offered and accepted by the deceased's immediate family, a public funeral would ensue. A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour Heads of state or other important people of national significance A recent example of this is the death of celebrity Steve Irwin, in which his family was offered a state funeral but refused. Stephen Robert Irwin (22 February 1962 – 4 September 2006 known simply as Steve Irwin and Nicknamed " The Crocodile Hunter " was an iconic A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour Heads of state or other important people of national significance They held a private ceremony for Irwin on 9 September 2006. Events 1000 - Battle of Svolder, Viking Age. 1379 - Treaty of Neuberg, splitting the Austrian Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
In some cases (particularly the latter), the family may schedule a public memorial service at a later time.
Memorial services
The memorial service is a service given for the deceased without the body present. This may take place after an earth burial, donation of the body to an institution such as a school, cremation (sometimes the cremations are present), entombment, or burial at sea. Typically these services take place at the funeral home and may include prayers, poems, or songs to remember the deceased. Pictures of the deceased are usually placed at the altar where the body would normally be to pay respects by.
Other types of funerals
New Orleans Jazz Funeral
A unique funeral tradition in the United States occurs in New Orleans, Louisiana. For the 1954 film starring Kirk Douglas see 20000 Leagues Under the Sea. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America The unique tradition arises from African spiritual practices, French martial musical traditions and uniquely African-American cultural influences. A typical jazz funeral begins with a march by the family, friends, and a jazz band from the home, funeral home or church to the cemetery. Jazz funeral is a common name for a Funeral tradition with Music which developed in New Orleans Louisiana. Jazz is an American Musical art form which originated in the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States Throughout the march, the band plays very somber dirges. For the Transformers character see Dirge (Transformers For the Xombie character see Xombie For The American comic book writer/artist Once the final ceremony has taken place, the march proceeds from the cemetery to a gathering place, and the solemn music is replaced by loud, upbeat, raucous music and dancing where onlookers join in to celebrate the life of the deceased. This is the origin of the New Orleans dance known as the "second line" where celebrants do a dance-march, frequently while raising the hats and umbrellas brought along as protection from intense New Orleans weather and waving handkerchiefs above the head that are no longer being used to wipe away tears. Second line is a tradition in Brass band Parades in New Orleans Louisiana.
“Green” funeral
Those with concerns about the effects on the environment of traditional burial or cremation may choose to be buried in a fashion more suited to their beliefs. Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire They may choose to be buried in a coffin made of cardboard or other easily-biodegradable materials. Further, they may choose their final resting place to be in a park or woodland, known as an eco-cemetery, and may have a tree planted over their grave as a contribution to the environment and a remembrance. A natural burial ground, also known as a green burial ground or an eco-cemetery is a Cemetery where the body is returned to the earth to Decompose and recycle
Internet visitation/funeral
A Funeral Home in North Syracuse, New York was the first funeral home to offer and broadcast a visitation and funeral "live" on the Internet. A Funeral Director at the Home said "It's not new technology, just a new application. " The use of a web-camera allows relatives who could not otherwise attend services to do so from any computer. Family members and friends separated by distance, weather or circumstance can now become part of the support network by being connected electronically to the ceremonies.
Funerals in East Asia
In most East Asian, South Asian and many Southeast Asian cultures, the wearing of white is symbolic of death. White is a Color, the perception which is evoked by Light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive Cone cells in the Human eye In these societies, white or off-white robes are traditionally worn to symbolize that someone has died and can be seen worn among relatives of the deceased during a funeral ceremony. In Chinese culture, red is strictly forbidden as it is a traditionally symbolic color of happiness. Red is any of a number of similar Colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of Light discernible by the human eye in the wavelength Contemporary Western influence however has meant that dark-colored or black attire is now often also acceptable for mourners to wear (particularly for those outside the family). Black is the Color of objects that do not emit or Reflect Light in any part of the Visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of In such cases, mourners wearing dark colors at times may also wear a white or off-white armband or white robe.
A traditional Chinese gift to the attendees upon entering is a white envelope, usually enclosing a small sum of money (in odd numbers, usually one dollar), a sweet and a handkerchief, each with symbolic meaning. Chinese custom also dictates that the said sum of money should not be brought home. The sweet should be consumed the day of and anything given during the funeral must not be brought home. The repetition of 3 is common where people at the funeral may brush their hair three times or spit three times before leaving the funeral to ward off bad luck. This custom is also found in other East Asian and Southeast Asian cultures.
Most Japanese funerals are conducted with Buddhist rites. A Japanese funeral includes a wake the Cremation of the deceased a burial in a family grave, and a periodic memorial service Buddhism is a family of beliefs and practices Many feature a ritual that bestows a new name on the deceased; funerary names typically use obsolete or archaic kanji and words, to avoid the likelihood of the name being used in ordinary speech or writing. A name ( Etymology: from OE nama akin to OHG namo, Latin Nomen, and Greek όνομα ( In Language, an archaism is the use of a form of speech or writing that is no longer current are the Chinese characters that are used in the modern Japanese logographic writing system along with Hiragana (ひらがな 平仮名 Katakana The new names are typically chosen by a Buddhist priest, after consulting the family of the deceased. Most Japanese are cremated.
African funerals
The custom of burying the dead in the floor of dwelling-houses has been to some degree prevalent on the Gold Coast of Africa. The ceremony is purely animist, and apparently without any set ritual. The main exception is that the females of the family of the deceased and their friends may undergo mournful lamentations. In some instances they work their feelings up to an ostentatious, frenzy-like degree of sorrow. The revelry may be heightened by the use of alcohol, of which drummers, flute-players, bards, and singing men may partake. The funeral may last for as much as a week. Another custom, a kind of memorial, frequently takes place seven years after the person's death. These funerals and especially the memorials may be extremely expensive for the family in question. Cattle, sheep, goats, and poultry, may be offered in remembrance and then consumed in festivities.
Some funerals in Ghana are held with the deceased put in elaborate "fantasy coffins" colored and shaped after a certain object, such as a fish, crab, boat, and even an airplane. [1]
Ancient funeral rites
The most simple and natural kind of funeral monuments, and therefore the most ancient and universal, consist in a mound of earth, or a heap of stones, raised over the body or ashes of the departed: of such monuments mention is made in the Book of Joshua, and in Homer and Virgil. The Book of Joshua ( Hebrew: Sefer Y'hoshua ספר יהושע is the sixth book in both the Hebrew Tanakh and the Old Testament of the Christian Homer ( Ancient Greek:, Homēros) is a legendary ancient Greek epic Poet, traditionally said to be the author of the epic poems the Publius Vergilius Maro ( October 15, 70 BCE &ndash September 21, 19 BCE later called Virgilius, and known in English as Virgil or
The place of burial amongst the Jews was never particularly determined. Ancient Jews had burial-places upon the highways, in gardens, and upon mountains. In the Hebrew Bible (known as the Christian Old Testament), Abraham was buried with Sarah, his wife, in the cave in Machpelah, the field he bought from Ephron the Hittite; David, king of Israel, and the other kings after him (including Uzziah of Judah) "rested with [their] ancestors" in the burial field that pertained to the kings. The term Hebrew Bible is a generic reference to those books of the Bible originally written in Biblical Hebrew (and the related Biblical Aramaic In Western Christianity, the Old Testament refers to the books that form the first of the two-part Christian Biblical canon. Abraham ( Ashkenazi Avrohom or Avruhom; ابراهيم, {{Unicode|Ibrāhīm}}; Ge'ez: Sarah (; Arabic: سارة, Sārah; "a woman of high rank" is the wife of Abraham as described in the Hebrew Bible The Cave of the Patriarchs ( Hebrew: מערת המכפלה Me'arat HaMachpela, Trans The Hittites were an ancient Anatolian people who spoke a language of the Anatolian branch of the Indo-European language family and established David, Arabic: داوود or داود dawud, "beloved" was the second king of the united Kingdom of Israel according to the Hebrew Bible For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Israel topics. Uzziah of Judah (עֻזִּיָּהוּ also known as Azariah, was the king of the ancient Kingdom of Judah, and one of Amaziah 's sons whom the people
The primitive Greeks were buried in places prepared for that purpose in their own houses; but later they established burial grounds in desert islands, and outside the walls of towns, by that means securing them from disturbance, and themselves from the liability of catching infection from those who had died of contagious disorders.
Funerals in ancient Rome
In ancient Rome, the eldest surviving male of the household, the pater familias, was summoned to the death-bed, where he attempted to catch and inhale the last breath of the decedent. Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 " Pater Familias " or " Pater Families " is the third Season finale of Ghost Whisperer, it originally aired on May
Funerals of the socially prominent were usually undertaken by professional undertakers called libitinarii. No direct description has been passed down of Roman funeral rites. These rites usually included a public procession to the tomb or pyre where the body was to be cremated. The most noteworthy thing about this procession was that the survivors bore masks bearing the images of the family's deceased ancestors. A mask is an artefact normally worn on the face typically for protection concealment performance or amusement The right to carry the masks in public was eventually restricted to families prominent enough to have held curule magistracies. According to Livy the curule chair originated in Etruria, and it has been used on surviving Etruscan monuments to identify magistrates but stools supported Mimes, dancers, and musicians hired by the undertakers, as well as professional female mourners, took part in these processions. Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is an Art form that generally refers to movement of the body usually rhythmic A musician is a person who plays or writes Music. Musicians can be classified by their roles in creating or performing music An instrumentalist plays a Less well to do Romans could join benevolent funerary societies (collegia funeraticia) who undertook these rites on their behalf. A funeral is a Ceremony marking a person's Death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of Beliefs and practices used by a Culture to remember
Nine days after the disposal of the body, by burial or cremation, a feast was given (cena novendialis) and a libation poured over the grave or the ashes. Since most Romans were cremated, the ashes were typically collected in an urn and placed in a niche in a collective tomb called a columbarium (literally, "dovecote"). An urn is a Vase, ordinarily covered and without handles that usually has a narrowed neck above a footed Pedestal. A dovecote or dovecot is a building intended to house Pigeons or Doves which were an important food source in history During this nine day period, the house was considered to be tainted, funesta, and was hung with yew or cypress branches to warn by passers. Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Cupressus sempervirens, the Mediterranean Cypress,(Or Italian Tuscan or Graveyard Cypress or Pencil Pine is a species of cypress native to the eastern At the end of the period, the house was swept in an attempt to purge it of the dead person's ghost. A ghost is said to be the apparition of a Deceased person frequently similar in appearance to that person and usually encountered in places she or he frequented
Several Roman holidays commemorated a family's dead ancestors, including the Parentalia, held February 13 through 21, to honor the family's ancestors; and the Lemuria, held on May 9, 11, and 13, in which ghosts (larvæ) were feared to be active, and the pater familias sought to appease them with offerings of beans. Parentalia was a Roman festival for honoring one's dead parents In Roman religion, the Lemuralia or Lemuria was a feast during which the ancient Romans performed Rites to exorcise the malevolent In Roman mythology, the larvae or lemures (singular lemur) were the spectres or spirits of the dead they were the malignant version of the Bean is a common name for large plant Seeds of several genera of the family Fabaceae (formerly Leguminosae used for human food or animal
The Romans prohibited burning or burying in the city, both from a sacred and civil consideration, so that the priests might not be contaminated by touching a dead body, and so that houses would not be endangered by funeral fires.
Restrictions on the length, ostentation, expense of and behaviour during funerals and mourning were gradually placed by a variety of law-givers. Often the pomp and length of rites could be politically or socially motivated to advertise or aggrandise a particular kin group in Roman society. This was seen as deleterious to society and conditions for grieving were set - for instance, under some laws, women were prohibited from loud wailing or lacerating their faces and limits were introduced for expenditure on tombs and burial clothes.
The Romans commonly built tombs for themselves during their lifetime. Hence these words frequently occur in ancient inscriptions, V. F. Vivus Facit, V. S. P. Vivus Sibi Posuit. The tombs of the rich were usually constructed of marble, the ground enclosed with walls, and planted round with trees. But common sepulchres were usually built below ground, and called hypogea. There were niches cut out of the walls, in which the urns were placed; these, from their resemblance to the niche of a pigeon-house, were called columbaria.
Funerals in Scotland
An old funeral rite from the Scottish Highlands is to bury the deceased with a wooden plate resting on his chest. Scotland ( Gaelic: Alba) is a Country in northwest Europethat occupies the northern third of the island of Great Britain. In the plate were placed a small amount of earth and salt, to represent the future of the deceased. Salt is a Dietary mineral composed primarily of Sodium chloride that is essential for Animal life but toxic to most land plants The earth hinted that the body would decay and become one with the earth, while the salt represented the soul, which does not decay. The soul, according to many religious and philosophical beliefs is the self-awareness, or Consciousness, unique to a particular living This rite was known as "earth laid upon a corpse".
Mutes and professional mourners
From about 1600 to 1914, there were two professions in Europe now almost totally forgotten. The mute is depicted in art quite frequently but in literature is probably best known from Dickens' "Oliver Twist". Oliver Twist (1838 is Charles Dickens' second Novel. The book was originally published in Bentley's Miscellany as a serial Oliver is working for Sowerberry's when this conversation takes place: "There's an expression of melancholy in his face, my dear . . . which is very interesting. He would make a delightful mute, my love". The main purpose of a funeral mute was to stand around at funerals with a sad, pathetic face. The professional mourner, generally a woman, would shriek and wail (often while clawing her face and tearing at her clothing), to encourage others to weep. These people are mentioned in ancient Greek plays, and were employed throughout Europe, but the practice largely died out in the nineteenth century. They continue to exist in Africa and the Middle East.
The 2003 award-winning Philippine comedy Crying Ladies revolves around the lives of three women who are part-time professional mourners for the Chinese-Filipino community in Manila's Chinatown. The Philippines ( Filipino: Pilipinas, officially known as the Republic of the Philippines (fil ''Republika ng Pilipinas'' RP A Chinese Filipino ( Hokkien: Huâ-hui; Cantonese: Wàhfèi; Tagalog / Filipino: "Tsinoy" ( derived from The City of Manila A Chinatown is a section of an urban area with a large number of Chinese outside the majority-Chinese countries of Greater China. According to the film, the Chinese use professional mourners to help expedite the entry of a deceased loved one's soul into heaven by giving the impression that he or she was a good and loving person, well-loved by many.
Funerals for heroes
Viking chieftains were placed in ships after their death, together with tools and weapons. The ships were then set on a course out to sea and set ablaze. This is still re-enacted as part of festivals in the north of Europe, particularly at Up Helly-Aa and the Delamont Viking Festival. Up Helly Aa refers to any of a variety of fire festivals held in Shetland annually in the middle of winter to mark the end of the Yule season Military heroes such as Nelson, Wellington and Sir Winston Churchill had their coffins paraded through the city of London, placed on gun carriages. The guns were originally pulled by horses, but are now pulled by sailors. This is called a State Funeral. A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour Heads of state or other important people of national significance
Final disposition of the dead
Some cultures place the dead in tombs of various sorts, either individually, or in specially designated tracts of land that house tombs. For the New York prison see The Tombs. A Tomb is a repository for the remains of the dead. Burial in a graveyard is one common form of tomb. Burial, also called interment and inhumation, is the act of placing a person or object into the ground A graveyard is any place set aside for long-term burial of the dead with or without monuments such as Headstones It is usually located near and administered by a In some places, burials are impractical because the ground water is too high; therefore tombs are placed above ground, as was the case in New Orleans, Louisiana. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Elsewhere, a separate building for a tomb is usually reserved for the socially prominent and wealthy. Especially grand above-ground tombs are called mausoleums. A mausoleum ( plural: mausolea is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or persons Other buildings used as tombs include the crypts in churches; burial in these places is again usually a privilege given to the socially prominent dead. In terms of European architecture a crypt (from the Latin crypta and the Greek κρυπτη, kryptē) is a stone chamber or In more recent times, however, this has often been forbidden by hygiene laws.
Burial was not always permanent. In some areas, burial grounds needed to be re-used because of limited space. In these areas, once the dead have decomposed to skeletons, the bones are removed; after their removal they can be placed in an ossuary. Decomposition (or spoilage) refers to the break down of tissue of a formerly living Organism into simpler forms of matter In Biology, the skeleton is a strong and often a rigid framework that supports the body of an animal holding it upright and giving it shape and strength (Also skeletal An ossuary is a chest building well or site made to serve as the final resting place of human skeletal remains
"Burial at sea" means the deliberate disposal of a corpse into the ocean, wrapped and tied with weights to make sure it sinks. Burial at sea describes the procedure of disposing of human remains in the ocean normally from a ship or boat An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. It is a common practice in navies and sea-faring nations; in the Church of England, special forms of funeral service were added to the Book of Common Prayer to cover it. The Church of England is the officially established Christian church in England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican The Book of Common Prayer is the common title of a number of prayer books of the Church of England and used throughout the Anglican Communion. Science fiction writers have frequently analogized with "Burial in space". Space burial is a Burial procedure in which a small sample of the cremated ashes of the deceased are placed in a capsule the size of a tube of Lipstick
Cremation, also, is an old custom; it was the usual mode of disposing of a corpse in ancient Rome (along with graves covered with heaped mounds, also found in Greece, particularly at the Karameikos graveyard in Monastiraki). Cremation is the act of reducing a Corpse by burning, generally in a crematorium furnace or crematory fire Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Vikings were occasionally cremated in their longships, and afterwards the location of the site was marked with standing stones (see Viking funeral). A Viking is one of the Norse ( Scandinavian Explorers Warriors Merchants, and pirates who raided and colonized wide areas Longships, or longboats were ships primarily used by the Scandinavian Vikings and the Saxon people to raid coastal and inland settlements during the European Standing stones, orthostats, liths or more commonly Megaliths ' because of their large and cumbersome size are solitary stones set vertically in the The Vikings often cremated their dead in Ship burials known from archaeology Sagas Old Norse poetry, and notably from the account of Ahmad In recent years, despite the objections of some religious groups, cremation has become more and more widely used. Orthodox Judaism and the Eastern Orthodox Church forbid cremation, as do most Muslims. Orthodox Judaism is the formulation of Judaism that adheres to a relatively strict interpretation and application of the laws and ethics first canonized The Eastern Orthodox Church is the second largest single Christian Communion in the world For other meanings including people named 'Islam' see Islam (disambiguation. Orthodox Judaism forbids cremation according to Jewish law (Halakha) believing that the soul of a cremated person cannot find its final repose. Halakha ( הלכה; alternative transliterations include Halocho and Halacha) is the collective body of Jewish Religious law The Roman Catholic Church forbade it for many years, but since 1963 the church has allowed it so long as it is not done to express disbelief in bodily resurrection. The church specifies that cremated remains are either buried or entombed. They do not allow cremated remains to be scattered or kept at home. Many Catholic cemeteries now have columbarium niches for cremated remains, or specific sections for those remains. Some denominations of Protestantism allow cremation, the more conservative denominations generally do not. Protestantism refers to the forms of Christian faith and practice that originated in the 16th century Protestant Reformation.
Hindus consider the funeral as the final "samskar" or ritual of life. Cremation is generally mandatory for all Hindus, except for saints and children under the age of 5 years. Cremation is seen as the only way in which all the five elements of fire, water, earth, air and space would be satisfied by returning the body to these elements as after cremation the ashes are poured into the sacred river Ganges or into the sea. The Ganges (ˈgænʤiːz also Ganga, Devanāgarī: hi गंगा in most Indian languages) is the major river in the Indian subcontinent After death the body of the deceased is placed on the ground with the head of the deceased pointing towards south which is considered the direction of the dead. South is one of Cardinal directions and is opposite to the North. The body is anointed with sacred items such as sandalwood paste and holy ashes, tulsi (basil) leaves and water from the river Ganges. The eldest son would whisper "Om namah shivay" or "Om namo bhagavate vasudevaya" near the ear of the deceased. An oil lamp is lit besides the deceased and chapters from the holy Bhagavad Gita or Garud Purana are recited. Traditionally the body has to be cremated within 24 hours after death, as keeping the body longer is considered to lead to impurity and hinder the passage of the dead to afterlife. Hence before cremation as the body lies in state, minimal physical contact with the body is observed.
A priest is called in to lead the formal religious rituals, after which the body is taken to the cremation ground, where the eldest son normally lights the funeral pyre, this act is considered to be the most important duty of a son as it is believed that he leads his parents from this world into moksha. Brahmin ( Brāhmaṇa, sa ब्राह्मणः is the class of educators scholars and preachers in Brahminical Hinduism. In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Immediately after the cremation, the family members of the deceased all have to take a purifying bath and observe a 12-day mourning period. This mourning period ends on the morning of the thirteenth day on which a Shraddh ceremony is conducted in which offerings are given to ancestors and other gods in order to grant liberation or moksha to the deceased.
Recently a new method of disposing of the body, called promession or an Ecological funeral, has been patented by a Swedish company. Promession is an ecologically -conscious method for disposing of human remains by Freeze drying. Promession is an ecologically -conscious method for disposing of human remains by Freeze drying. Its main purpose is to return the body to soil quickly while minimizing pollution and resource consumption.
Rarer forms of disposal of the dead include excarnation, where the corpse is exposed to the elements. In Archaeology and Anthropology the term excarnation refers to the burial practice adopted by some societies of removing the flesh of the dead, leaving This was done by some groups of Native Americans; it is still practiced by Zoroastrians in Bombay, where the Towers of Silence/Daxmas allow vultures and other carrion eating birds to dispose of the corpses. Native Americans in the United States are the indigenous peoples from the regions of North America now encompassed by the continental United States Zoroastrianism (ˌzɔroʊˈæstriəˌnɪzəm is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings Mumbai ( Marathi:,, IPA: formerly Bombay, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra and the financial Towers of Silence are circular raised structures used by Zoroastrians for exposure of the dead Vultures are scavenging Birds feeding mostly on the carcasses of dead Animals Vultures are found on every continent except Antarctica and Birds ( class Aves) are bipedal endothermic ( Warm-blooded) Vertebrate animals that lay eggs. Zoroastrianism believes that fire is sacred and should not be defiled by cremating a human body. SACRED was a Cubesat built by the Student Satellite Program of the University of Arizona. It is also practiced by some Tibetan Buddhists and is sometimes called Sky burial. Sky burial or ritual Dissection was once a common funerary practice in Tibet wherein a human corpse is cut into small pieces and placed on a mountaintop
Cannibalism is also practiced post-mortem in some countries. Cannibalism (from Spanish es ''caníbal'' in connection with cannibalism among the Antillean Caribs, also called anthropophagy (from Greek ἄνθρωπος The practice has been linked to the spread of a prion disease called kuru[2]. A prion (ˈpriːɒn is thought to be an infectious agent that according to current scientific consensus is comprised entirely of a propagated, mis-folded Kuru is a disease which affects the Brain. It was endemic among the Fore tribe of Papua New Guinea and was universally fatal
Mummification is the drying of bodies to preserve them. A mummy is a Corpse whose Skin and Flesh have been preserved by either intentional or Incidental exposure to Chemicals extreme The most famous practitioners of mummification were ancient Egyptians: many nobles and high-ranked bureaucrats of the old Egyptian kingdom had their corpses embalmed and stored in luxurious sarcophagi inside their funeral mausoleum or, in the cases of some Pharaohs, a pyramid. Embalming, in most modern Cultures is the Art and Science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall Decomposition A sarcophagus is a Funeral receptacle for a Corpse, most commonly carved or cut from stone Pharaoh is the title given in modern parlance to the ancient Egyptian kings of all periods A pyramid is a Building where the upper surfaces are triangular and converge on one point
Control by the decedent of the details of the funeral
In law in the United States, the deceased have little say in the manner in which their funerals can be conducted. Law is a system of rules enforced through a set of Institutions used as an instrument to underpin civil obedience politics economics and society The law generally holds that the funeral rituals are for the benefit of the survivors, rather than to express the personal whims and tastes of the deceased.
The decedent may, in most U. S. jurisdictions, provide instructions as to his funeral by means of a Last Will and Testament. In Common law, a will or testament is a document by which a person (the Testator) regulates the rights of others over his or her Property These instructions can be given some legal effect if bequests are made contingent on the heirs carrying them out, with alternative gifts if they are not followed. A bequest is the act of receiving Property by will. Strictly "bequest" is used of Personal property, and "devise" of Real property "Heir" and "Heiress" redirect here For the men and women fragrances endorsed by Paris Hilton see Heiress (fragrance. This assumes, of course, that the decedent has enough of an estate to make the heirs pause before doing something that will invoke the alternate bequest. To be effective, the will must be easily available, and some notion of what it provides must be known to the decedent's survivors.
Anatomical gifts
Another way of avoiding some of the rituals and costs of a traditional funeral is for the decedent to donate some or all of her or his body to a medical school or similar institution for the purpose of instruction in anatomy, or for similar purposes. Medical education A medical school or faculty of medicine is a Tertiary educational institution—or part of such an institution—that teaches Medicine Anatomy (from the Greek anatomia, from ana separate apart from and temnein, to cut up cut open is a branch of Biology that is the consideration Students of medicine and osteopathic medicine frequently study anatomy from donated cadavers; they are also useful in forensic research. Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the A cadaver or corpse is a dead Body. "Cadaver" is normally used as a more formal term for a body being used in medical training or research
Making an anatomical gift is a separate transaction from being an organ donor, in which any useful organs are removed from the unembalmed cadaver for medical transplant. Organ donation is the removal of the tissues of the Human body from a person who has recently Died, or from a living donor for the purpose of transplanting Medicine is the art and science of healing It encompasses a range of Health care practices evolved to maintain and restore Human Health by the Under a Uniform Act in force in most jurisdictions of the United States, being an organ donor is a simple process that can often be accomplished when a driver's license is renewed. In the United States, a Uniform Act or "Uniform Law" is a proposed state law drafted by the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL A driver's license, driver license, driver licence, or driving licence is an official document which states that a person may operate a There are some medical conditions, such as amputations, or various surgeries, that can make the cadaver unsuitable for these purposes. Amputation is the removal of a body extremity by trauma or Surgery. Surgery (from the χειρουργική cheirourgikē, via chirurgiae meaning "hand work" is a medical specialty that uses operative manual and instrumental Conversely, the bodies of people who had certain medical conditions are useful for research into those conditions. All US medical schools rely on the generosity of "anatomical donors" for the teaching of anatomy. Typically the remains are cremated once the students have completed their anatomy classes, and many medical schools now hold a memorial service at that time as well.
See also
- Bereavement in Judaism
- Burial
- Cremation
- Funeral Consumers Alliance
- Funeral director
- Icelandic funeral
- Living funeral
- Mourning
- Military funeral
- Museum of Funeral Customs
- Requiem
- State funeral
- Ban Grong Greng (discusses Theravada Buddhist funeral customs in Northern Thailand)
References
External links
- Museum of Funeral Customs homepage
- Resources for green funerals
- Funeral Planning resources
- Funeral Poems and Eulogy Quotes
- Funeral Consumers Alliance
- Vietnamese Funeral ceremonies
- The Rosicrucian Method of Caring for the Dead
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