Anonymous wrote:I'm going to a funeral today. There will be a three hour "viewing" followed by the service. We plan to arrive just before the service starts.

I have never been able to deal with this tradition of displaying a dead body. Yes, I'll admit that it's not part of my background and we don't do it at funerals. Why is it done?

You may ask, how did this tradition start?
I'll tell you - I don't know. But it's a tradition.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Are the people who were in charge of the funeral older people? Of a certain religious group? There's your answer.
I wouldn't even have a funeral. Put me in a jar and have a party.

The party thing is weird to me. The last thing I would want to do is celebrate after a person dies. Haven't been to one yet where people were not openly grieving.

I’ve experienced a lot of loss including 5 immediate family members in a 7 year period starting when I was 20.

The first deaths were the hardest and the 'party' held after the funeral was cathartic. Yes, there were tears but there was also a lot of fun. It was an opportunity to tell stories and reconnect with people you hadn't seen in a long time. It was a sad occasion but also a reaffirmation of life and love.

I really like the 'celebration of life' trend. We did that for my grandmother and stepfather. I've got a playlist on Spotify for mine that rocks!

Anonymous wrote:Sometimes when you are told someone died, it can feel like it can't possibly be true. But then if you see the body, you can see with your own eyes that they are dead.

Religiously, if you believe in the soul, you can really see the difference between someone who is sleeping versus someone who is dead and their soul has moved on. For Catholics for example, it can be helpful to see for yourself that their soul has moved on and is hopefully in heaven.

I agree - it is so clear that the essence of the person is gone.

Anonymous wrote:In our Hindu tradition, we have to drss the body and close family members throw flowers and sprinkle holy water on it as part of the rituals. I did it for my mom, but my dad was overseas when he died so I came afterwards. It is a beautiful and meaningful, as well as holy part of the process for us. The soul is liberated gor reincarnation.

This is lovely.

In our Hindu tradition, we have to drss the body and close family members throw flowers and sprinkle holy water on it as part of the rituals. I did it for my mom, but my dad was overseas when he died so I came afterwards. It is a beautiful and meaningful, as well as holy part of the process for us. The soul is liberated gor reincarnation.