The Rituals In Christian Funerals

A funeral is a family (or a State) ceremony held in honour of a deceased person. It entails a number of customs and rites that are specific to the religion of the deceased.

Most Christian funerals have ceremonies that can be divided into three types of events – visitation, funeral and in the end, the burial. The funeral and visitation rituals have a lot more importance as far as ritualistic aspects are concerned and they are discussed here.

Visitation is the part that comes first, when the deceased’s body is placed in a casket for the friends and relatives to see. The body is adorned in the best clothes and any jewels that belonged to the departed. Some communities follow the rite of anointing the body, though not all cultures are bound to do it.

During the visitation, family members may also exhibit pictures taken of the deceased during his or her lifetime, or some precious possessions that were very dear to the deceased. Some families also run a video or slide show of the departed.

The visitation ceremony is followed by the next service, the memorial service, also known as funeral, and it is conducted in a church. The coffin is then taken to the church in a hearse and the friends and relatives of the departed follow the vehicle. The coffin is placed in the church with an elegant floral arrangement on it.

The service normally involves reading of parts from the Holy Scriptures or the Bible and offering prayers for the departed. The mourners or attendees also sing religious songs in chorus. The priest presiding over the ceremony delivers a comforting speech, followed by eulogies or tributes given by relatives and close friends of the deceased, who speak of the latter’s merits and accomplishments. Sometimes, attendees are allowed to see the body for the last time before the burial takes place. The service is sometimes also followed by ringing church bells.

Once these ceremonies are over, the deceased is taken in a funeral procession for burial, which finally concludes the funeral ceremony.

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