Burial by nature is a process followed in all religions. Again those who do not follow any religion also follow a humanist burial process. However in this kind, there is no burial service instead there is a gathering of friends and family at home with his favorite literature or poem being read out. Mourning rite for the Christian society is entirely based on which sub-sect you belong.
-Protestant
-Catholic
-Jewish
It could also depend on the country where you live.
For instance, if you are living in India, Christian mourning rites contain a funeral service at a church or at home typically followed by a burial at a cemetery. The body will be laden with flowers and garlands and a procession will be carried out on the streets from the church or home to the cemetery in a silence. Funeral service in Christian society typically combines fancy or plain, custom or traditional types by nature. Most Christians would prefer to bury the dead in line with their ancestors choice and the way Jesus Christ was buried him. Yet, these days, in major countries where there is not enough burial space for cemeteries, Christian religious leaders do give the authorization to cremate them.
Protestant mourning rites depend on the denomination and the deceased belonged to. It typically includes lessons being read from the Bible with special reference to resurrection that is a uniquely Christian concept. Apart from this, there will be prayers said, hymns sung and a sermon given by the priest of the church. At the cemetery, there will be an order of funeral service followed after which the burial will take place. Roman Catholics have a more formal and traditional burial service complete with a rosary prayer service and funeral mass.They also possesses a grave site service before the actual burial process. Roman Catholics mourning rites are more modern in nature with scriptures and verses from the bible being sung. Jewish mourning rites are based on the sub sect of the deceased. Typically it will be brief and the focus is on confirming the life of the dead. Wake is a rite followed in Ireland.
It typically involves in preparing the deceased for burial by first washing and then dressing the body.One thing common is the fact that the family members do not leave the body of the person from the time of death until the burial of the body. They will make sure that the body is attended by someone or the other and lights and candles are kept on and burning. Songs are prayers will be played for the entire 3 days which is typically the duration of Irish wake. These days, the wake is minimized, often to the home where funeral is performed. At this time, the family and friends bring food to the home and perform chores throughout the house so that their immediate family members have a chance to mourn in peace.
Viewing or vigil is another kind of Christian mourning rite that typically takes place at funeral home where the body made ready and kept in an open casket. Friends, acquaintances, neighbors and relatives, come and pay their last respects whole commiserating the loss with the family. If the person died is a celebrity, then the body is kept in an open area under appropriate protection. This is done for many days depending on the interest of all and the casket can be kept open or closed with a photograph of the person nearby.Very often the place of viewing will also have a visitors book where people can sign and write some words of condolence. The graveside burial rites just take a few minutes with a presiding clergyman. Most Christian final rites include words taken from Genesis where words like earth to earth and ashes to ashes, from dust you came and to dust you will return are said. These words refer to the fact that according to the Christian faith, God created the first man from dust and when a person dies, the body disintegrates to dust or ashes.
Mourners will place flowers on the coffin before it is lowered to the ground and in some rites, mourners will also take sand or mud from around and sprinkle it on the coffin to symbolize the fact that the deceased is returning to the dust from which he or she came.
Article by Dunbar Winston of FuneralesReforma, who is a specialist in hispanic estate planning. For more information on funerarias Guatemala and manejo de duelo Guatemala, visit his site today.
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