A lot of traditions and rituals characterize funeral ceremonies from all over the world. During funerals, near and dear ones of the departed pray for his or her soul and resign themselves to their loss and sorrow.
Church rules regulate the funeral rites in Christian communities. There are more than 200 different denominations and communities of Christians, and each has their own unique funeral rites and traditions.
The first and foremost custom in a Christian funeral that is organized before the actual ceremony relates to assembling around the dead person for a night and reciting prayers for the departed. This important tradition is known as wake. According to present-day standards, this is the moment when relatives and acquaintances can pay their last respects to the deceased person. The deceased is preserved and placed either at the residence or in a Church with only a specified number of visiting hours. In the past, the second stage after wake used to be that of absolution, where a cross was put on the deceased's body and offertory, which held the gifts offered by visitors, and the person was absolved of the sins of this birth.
Then comes the actual service itself, where the dead is first carried to the Church in a vehicle and prayers from the Bible are said and prayers are sung in the church. Then, the clergy calls upon a dear friend or family member to give a public eulogy in honour of the deceased. Some of the Christian communities follow this by a ritual of tolling of the bells, signifying the end of the ceremony. When the funeral proceedings are over, the casket with the body is transported to the burial site and burial service is held before the body is laid to rest by burying.
Lastly, the family members organize a lunch gathering for the friends, relatives and acquaintances who are attending the funeral. The main aim of this custom is to share the grief of the family and help them deal and come to terms with the loss.
Church rules regulate the funeral rites in Christian communities. There are more than 200 different denominations and communities of Christians, and each has their own unique funeral rites and traditions.
The first and foremost custom in a Christian funeral that is organized before the actual ceremony relates to assembling around the dead person for a night and reciting prayers for the departed. This important tradition is known as wake. According to present-day standards, this is the moment when relatives and acquaintances can pay their last respects to the deceased person. The deceased is preserved and placed either at the residence or in a Church with only a specified number of visiting hours. In the past, the second stage after wake used to be that of absolution, where a cross was put on the deceased's body and offertory, which held the gifts offered by visitors, and the person was absolved of the sins of this birth.
Then comes the actual service itself, where the dead is first carried to the Church in a vehicle and prayers from the Bible are said and prayers are sung in the church. Then, the clergy calls upon a dear friend or family member to give a public eulogy in honour of the deceased. Some of the Christian communities follow this by a ritual of tolling of the bells, signifying the end of the ceremony. When the funeral proceedings are over, the casket with the body is transported to the burial site and burial service is held before the body is laid to rest by burying.
Lastly, the family members organize a lunch gathering for the friends, relatives and acquaintances who are attending the funeral. The main aim of this custom is to share the grief of the family and help them deal and come to terms with the loss.
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