December 17th, 2009 | 
Author: Many traditions and rituals characterize funerals from around the globe. Funerals give a chance to the bereaved to pray for their departed loved ones one last time and cope with their loss.
In Christian funerals, rules of the Church are followed. However, as there are over 200 different communities of Christians, there may be various differences in the way they hold funeral services.
An important ceremony of a Christian funeral, known as wake, is the very first ritual that is carried out before the real funeral and involves a nightly watch over the dead person and recital of prayers for the eternal peace of his soul. According to present day traditions, this is the time where acquaintances and family members see the dead person for the final time and pay their heartfelt respects. The deceased is carefully preserved and placed either at the house or inside a Chapel with only a particular 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 carried the presents given by visitors, and the deceased was absolved of the sins of this birth.
Next step is the actual service itself in which the deceased is put into a hearse and brought to the Church, where the clergy and others chant prayers and hymns from the Bible. This is then followed by the clergy requesting one of the friends or family to present a eulogy. In some cases funeral rituals include the tolling of bells to mark the end of the service. After the funeral proceedings, the casket is carried to the burial place where a burial service is held before the act of burial.
Finally, funeral traditions require a meal gathering to be held after the burial is done. The main purpose of this custom is to partake in the grief of the family and help them deal and come to terms with the loss.
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