Christian Funeral Rites And Rituals

A funeral can either be a State or a family ceremony, and it is held in the remembrance of the deceased person. It is a series of related rites or rituals that are unique to one’s culture or religion.

Most Christian funerals have rituals that are divided into three main parts – visitation, funeral and finally, the burial. The funeral and visitation ceremonies have higher importance from the ritualistic point of view and have been detailed here.

Visitation is the ceremony that comes first, when the body of the deceased is put in a coffin for the friends and relatives to see. The body is clothed in the finest attire 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 exhibit photos taken of the deceased while he was alive, or some valuable items that were very dear to the deceased. Some families also like to do a slideshow or video from the lifetime of the deceased.

The visitation is followed by the next service, which is the memorial service, also known as funeral, and it is carried out in a church. The coffin with the dead body in it is brought to the church in a hearse, accompanied by a funeral procession of mourners. The coffin with its floral arrangement is then placed inside the church.

This entails offering of prayers by the mourners and reciting lines from the Bible or Holy Scriptures by the priests. The people assembled at the funeral also sing religious songs. The pastor presiding over the service gives a comforting speech, and it is followed by eulogies or tributes given by relatives and close friends of the departed, who speak of the latter’s good qualities and achievements. Sometimes, attendees are permitted to see the body for the last time before it is taken for burial. The service might begin and end by ringing of church bells.

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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