Open Casket Funeral Research Paper

Funerals are an event that everyone has to experience at least once in their lives. For the most part here in the United States funerals are mainly carried out in a similar fashion no matter the religion. But what about funerals in other countries? Do they have the same customs we as Americans do? This paper will take a closer look into the funeral customs of other countries around the world.

Cemetery Plots: Before meeting with a funeral director, it’s important to consider your wishes in terms of a cemetery plot. Are you interested in cremation services

The body is now ready for casketing. Like in any business, there are some special secrets to casketing. According to Mitford, the right shoulder of the body has to be “depressed slightly to turn the body a bit to the right and soften the appearance of lying flat on the back.” Positioning the hands and feet is as important as everything that was done before. There are special rubber blocks that are used for this purpose. Finally, the body is placed in the casket as high as possible, and the mortician gives attention to the last details.

Unlike most communities or religions, the Amish choose to make arrangements with the funeral home then and there. The arrangements are made regardless of the hour of death. Generally, English funeral arrangements take hours for the funeral director to explain the choices and customization of an English funeral. When in an arrangement for an Amish funeral, the family and clergy will be informing the funeral director about the traditions and customs that MUST be followed. Most Amish families will handle informing the cemetery, ordering and paying for the coffin, and ordering the rough box (The Amish equivalent of a vault or outer burial liner). (Beerman,

Thankfully, there are ways to minimize the amount of probate your family and friends will have to go through. Work with an estate lawyer to find alternate ways to divide your

We then walked outside and stood by the hearse and watched them carry him out, with the sons and family carrying, they loaded him into the hearse. We then proceeded and walked to our car in the motorcade, it took nearly 10 minutes to reach the cemetery. Everyone then lined up on the road and stopped by a blue tent, under it laid chairs and a place to roll the casket

The Head Bearer will always be the team lead and guide. Guiding off of the Head Bearer, both bearers slightly bend at the waist over the casket. With both hands, clasp the flag in the middle then slide both hands outward to the corners. Rotate your hands so your palms are facing upward while grasping the corners. Head Bearer then orders, “Bearers, STEP.” Bearers will stand in unison. At this position the flag is raised taut and in the position of PALL over the casket.

Funerals are some of the most difficult activities for most individuals to experience, especially when they involve the death of a loved one. Over the years, there has grown a common and yet distinct American custom when it comes to how funerals are perceived and conducted (James 348). However, most Americans still hold unto the traditional funerals as opposed to modern ones. Unfortunately, the American funeral customs put a lot of more emphasis on some activities that turn out to be very costly. Worst of all, the economic burden that this traditions put on the bereaved families is even more detrimental.

If your loved one recently passed away, and they were a veteran of the US armed forces, you’ll want to make sure that they receive the full honors that they’re entitled to. Planning funeral services for a military veteran is slightly different than planning other types of funerals. There are certain steps you’ll need to take to ensure that your loved one receives a complete and honorable funeral. Here are four steps that will help you make your loved one’s final burial arrangements.

Nobody likes to think about the unfortunate reality that life eventually ends. However, a little forethought can make a big difference when it comes to funeral arrangements. By pre-planning your funeral services, your loved ones are saved any additional stress while they are already grieving your passing, giving you peace of mind and ensuring that all of your wishes will be respected.

There are multiple options for a memorial services involving ashes. People usually just do a memorial service at a church in which they quote some verses from a religious text, share good memories, and show pictures of the deceased person. People may also have a service at the funeral home, their house, in the woods or forest, on a beach, or in a restaurant. In rare cases, some families embalm the deceased person for the visitation and then have the funeral the next day. After the funeral, they cremate the body. People usually do not do this because of cost. (R. Hackett, personal communication, Nov. 10 2015) After the memorial service, the ashes are then given to the family.

In pursuing this further, there are several aspects to this topic; such as, preplanning, financial planning, cost, and the surviving family members. Funeral planning is something we all will have to do at one point in our lives, but where should we begin? It is a good idea to start with the preplanning of the funeral. Preplanning is crucial; it provides piece of mind, especially for surviving family. As said earlier, discussing one 's mortality is an extremely uncomfortable topic; however, by preplanning a funeral, it will relieve the family of having to make important decisions during a period of immense stress and grief. Furthermore, preplanning gives time to explore the options for a ceremony and allows time to discuss the financial aspects. It also gives a chance to choose a funeral home that best suit ones needs and budget.

When a loved one passes away, it's natural to want to honor their memory, and a headstone or grave marker allows you to express appreciation for the cherished role they played in your life. The experts at Wommack Monument Co say even though a headstone and grave marker share a similar purpose, there are certain key differences you should keep in mind when choosing between the two. The professionals at this Bolivar-based Missouri company say since this is a choice that can have long-lasting significance, it's important to make a fully informed decision.

During this time, the widow may be asked if she wants to perform certain small gestures. These are seen as a sign of respect and love for the deceased. If flowers are placed on the coffin or in the grave, she may be given the opportunity to be the first to lay the flower on the coffin. Or she may be offered a shovel so that she can place the first bit of dirt back into the grave after the coffin is lowered. The latter is more common at Jewish funerals. At military funerals in the United States, the widow is given the American flag that had been draped over the coffin during the grave-site service.

Funeral directors may claim that it is necessary for consumers to purchase their caskets, urns, or printed programs from the funeral home itself, but more times than not, it is less expensive if those items are bought from outside businesses (Sheridan 7). According to Terry Sheridan, “The Federal Trade Commission says a funeral home may not refuse to use a casket or urn bought on the web or at a local store. Also, the funeral director cannot charge you extra to handle a casket or urn purchased somewhere else.” This is another way for families to reduce the price of a traditional funeral, if they are willing to search and educate