Funeral Rites And Rituals

By Alice James

Funerals around the world are characterized by a lot of rites and rituals. It is at the funerals that the loved ones make peace with the fate and pray for the deceased's soul.

Christian funerals follow the rules of the Church. However, considering the fact that there are over 200 denominations of Christian communities, the traditions can change depending on the allegiance of the family.

The first significant ritual in a Christian funeral is the wake, which is held before the real funeral ceremony and where the dead is watched the whole night and Biblical psalms are read to pray for the departed soul. According to present-day standards, this is the moment when relatives and close friends can see and pay respects to the dear departed for the last time. The deceased is carefully preserved and placed either at the house or inside a Church with only a specified number of visiting hours. In olden days, the deceased used to be absolved of his sins of this birth by carrying out the process of absolution after wake. This included placing a cross on the departed's body and offertory in the casket, where presents were kept.

Then begins the real ceremony itself, where the dead is first transported to the Church in a vehicle and prayers from the Holy Bible are said and prayers are sung in the church. Following this, the clergy asks a relative or a friend to give a eulogy before the burial. In certain cases funeral rituals include the ringing of bells to signify the end of the service. After the funeral proceedings, the casket is taken to the burial place where before burying there is a burial service conducted.

Lastly, the funeral's completion is marked by a lunch organised for the family members and those present at the funeral service. The main objective of this custom is to partake in the grief of the family and help them deal and come to terms with the loss.

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