Rituals and Rites

The funeral service has three primary rites: the visitation, the service and the interment. Each rite is distinct and serves a particular purpose. You may choose all or none of them. Together they form a strong and for some a necessary form of emotional and spiritual expression.

VISITATION

The visitation is a time when family and friends come together to share their experiences and memories about the deceased and comfort one another. Depending on whether the body is present and whether there is an open casket, it is also a time when family and friends can view the deceased and see the reality of death. The visitation typically takes place at a funeral home, but it is also acceptable for the family to receive friends at their home.

It is increasingly common to have a memory board or memory table at the funeral home during the visitation. Personal items that were meaningful to the deceased and collections of family photographs can be displayed so that visitors can recall the full dimension of the life being celebrated.

THE SERVICE

There are no legal requirements as to the form of the funeral ceremony itself. Most people choose some form of religious ceremony that follows their own cultural traditions. The service is a time for an affirmation of life, a memorial to and tribute for the deceased through thought, prayer or eulogy. Services may be held at the funeral home, mortuary or at a place of worship. Most services last from twenty minutes to half an hour, but can last longer particularly if they involve prescribed religious rites. The funeral service should include aspects that are meaningful and comforting to the mourners.

INTERMENT

The final rite of the funeral service is the committal or interment. The committal service whether it be at graveside for a burial or the scattering of cremains is the symbolic demonstration that a life has ended. It is the time when we say our final goodbye. Committal services may or may not include a brief ceremony. You are permitted to witness the cremation and witness (or even participate in) the filling of grave with dirt. Far from being macabre, following the committal or interment to its final conclusion is regarded by some, like Thomas Lynch in “Tract” below, as a an integral part of the process.