There are many rituals and traditions that govern funerals throughout the world. It is at the funerals that the near and dear ones finally accept the fate and pay their respects to the deceased's soul.
Christian funerals adhere to the rules of the Church. However, as there are over 200 different communities of Christians, there are many differences in the way the funeral services are conducted by each community.
An important ritual of a Christian funeral, known as wake, is the first and foremost ritual that is carried out before the actual funeral and involves a nightly watch over the deceased and recital of prayers for the eternal peace of his soul. In present days, this is the moment when relatives and close friends can pay their last respects to the deceased person. The deceased is preserved and placed either at the residence or inside a Church with only a particular number of visiting hours. In earlier days, the stage following the wake used to be that of absolution, where a cross was placed on the deceased's body and offertory, which held the gifts offered by visitors, and the person was absolved of the sins committed during his earthly tenure.
The following stage is the actual service itself in which the dead person is put into a hearse and taken to the Church, where the priests and others recite prayers and hymns from the Holy Bible. This is then succeeded by the clergy requesting one of the close friends or a family member to present a eulogy. Some of the Christian communities follow this by a custom of tolling of the bells, signifying the end of the service. Then the casket with the deceased's body is brought to the burial place for the last set of rituals, called the burial service which precedes the burying.
Finally, funeral traditions require a lunch gathering to be held after the burial is done. The main purpose of this tradition is to partake in the sorrow of the family and support them so that they can come to terms with the loss.
Christian funerals adhere to the rules of the Church. However, as there are over 200 different communities of Christians, there are many differences in the way the funeral services are conducted by each community.
An important ritual of a Christian funeral, known as wake, is the first and foremost ritual that is carried out before the actual funeral and involves a nightly watch over the deceased and recital of prayers for the eternal peace of his soul. In present days, this is the moment when relatives and close friends can pay their last respects to the deceased person. The deceased is preserved and placed either at the residence or inside a Church with only a particular number of visiting hours. In earlier days, the stage following the wake used to be that of absolution, where a cross was placed on the deceased's body and offertory, which held the gifts offered by visitors, and the person was absolved of the sins committed during his earthly tenure.
The following stage is the actual service itself in which the dead person is put into a hearse and taken to the Church, where the priests and others recite prayers and hymns from the Holy Bible. This is then succeeded by the clergy requesting one of the close friends or a family member to present a eulogy. Some of the Christian communities follow this by a custom of tolling of the bells, signifying the end of the service. Then the casket with the deceased's body is brought to the burial place for the last set of rituals, called the burial service which precedes the burying.
Finally, funeral traditions require a lunch gathering to be held after the burial is done. The main purpose of this tradition is to partake in the sorrow of the family and support them so that they can come to terms with the loss.
About the Author:
Find out more about the best company that provides high quality casket and best funeral services.
