Christian

Christian funerals symbolise a period of time for friends and family to grieve and give thanks for the life of a loved one. Traditionally they take place in either a church or a crematorium, with the option of either burial or cremation as ways of dealing with a body.

The service is led by a priest who opens with a reading, often Psalm 23 ‘The Lord is my Shepherd’ or other readings from the Old and New Testament. They will then move on to talk about the life of the deceased person and their role in the Church.  Family members or friends then have the chance to give personal readings such as passages from the Bible or poems. This is followed by a selection of prayers for the individual who has passed away.

There is then usually a period of silent reflection and then the commendation and farewell. The final process in the funeral is the committal; in burial, the casket is lowered in the grave, to the accompaniment of prayers. It is traditional to throw some dust or mud onto the coffin once it has been lowered. At the end of the service at a cremation, curtains are usually closed on the coffin as it is usually dispatched towards the oven on rollers. Following the cremation, the ashes can be kept or scattered.