Funeral Traditions And Rituals
Funerals around the world are characterized by a many traditions and rituals. Funeral provides an opportunity to the family of the deceased to pray for his soul and learn to cope with their loss and sorrow.
Church rules regulate the rites of funerals in Christian communities. However, there are more than 200 different factions of Christianity that have their own different customs and rituals relating to the funeral service.
The first most important ritual in a Christian funeral is known as the wake, which is conducted before the actual funeral service and where the deceased is watched the entire night and psalms are recited to pray for the dead. According to present-day standards, this is the moment when relatives and close friends can pay their last respects to the deceased person. The body is preserved and placed either at the house or in a Church with only a specified number of visiting hours. In olden days, the deceased used to be absolved of his sins of his earthly existence by carrying out the process of absolution after wake. This involved placing a cross on the deceased’s chest and offertory in the casket, where gifts offered were kept.
Then comes the actual service itself, where the dead is first carried to the Church in a vehicle and prayers from the Bible are recited and hymns are sung in the church. Then, the priest requests a dear friend or family member to give a eulogy or tribute to the departed’s life. Some communities have chiming of the bells as an integral part of the tradition that marks the end of ceremony. After the funeral service, the casket is taken to the burial site where a burial service is held before the act of burial.
Finally, the funeral’s end is marked by a lunch organised for the family members and those present at the funeral ceremony. The primary objective of such customs is to provide support to the mourning family and assist them to overcome their grief and accept the fate.
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