Dying is part of being human. Death is part of the cycle of life. In each passing, there are those who pass away and there are those who grieve their loss. The role of the religious affiliation for those who are left behind is to perform a ritual of relinquishing. This rite of letting go is what is known as the funeral.

Funerals around the world are performed by following many traditions, rites and rituals. Funeral provides a chance to the relatives of the deceased to pray for his soul and come to terms with their loss and sorrow.

Church rules regulate the rites of funerals in Christian communities. However, given the fact that there are more than 200 denominations of Christians, the rituals can change depending on the affiliation of the family.

An important ritual of a Christian funeral, called wake, is the very first ritual that is performed before the real funeral and involves watching over the deceased and recital of prayers for the eternal peace of his soul. In present days, this is the moment when relatives and acquaintances can see and pay respects to the dear departed for the last time. The body is either laid at the house or at Church and the time of paying visit is fixed according to prescribed norms. In earlier times, the deceased used to be absolved of his sins of this birth by performing the ritual of absolution after wake. This included placing a cross on the deceased’s chest and offertory in the casket, where gifts offered were kept.

Then begins the real ceremony itself, where the deceased is first carried to the Church in a hearse and prayers from the Bible are recited and prayers are sung in the church. Then, the priest calls upon a dear friend or family member to give a eulogy or tribute to the departed’s life. Some of the Christian communities follow this by a custom of tolling of the bells, signifying the end of the ceremony. Once the funeral service is over, the casket with the deceased is carried to the burial site and burial service takes place before the final burial.

Finally, funeral traditions require a lunch gathering to be held after the burial service. The prime purpose of this custom of lunch is to share the grief of the aggrieved family and help them deal with the irreparable loss.

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