Western Funeral Etiquette

The funeral rites in western countries are basically religious funeral rites. Funerals generally follow the deceased's will and will to determine whether to be buried or cremated. Funeral ceremonies are mostly held in churches.

Western funeral customs are mainly influenced by Christian culture. Christianity directly relates each person's soul to God, does not allow idol worship, advocates the sublimation of the soul and despises the body, so the funeral custom in the West is simple funeral and light burial. Christian funerals are more about praying for the dead, wishing their souls to go to heaven as soon as possible, and to get rid of the pain during their lifetime. Christianity believes that the soul needs to be quiet after death, so funerals are very solemn. Under the influence of Christian culture, from the princes and nobles to the common people, funerals are basically simple, which is the so-called principle of "equality of soul" before God.

Since modern times, due to advocating the "scientific spirit", especially the rise of experimental science, Westerners can look at death with a "scientific perspective", which further weakens the enthusiasm of the society for funerals. The West advocates "individual-oriented" and advocates "individual-centered". Therefore, in funerals, the deceased is also "centered" and the focus is on placing the "soul" of the deceased.
Although there are many ethnic groups in the West, under the influence of Christian culture, funeral customs are basically the same. Let me talk about the more consistent aspects of Western funerals.

Western funeral etiquette includes procedures such as washing the body, changing clothes, mortuary for plastic surgery, funeral mourning, feasting, and memorial service, among which Christian rituals almost run through. Usually the priest presides over the memorial service. The priest introduces the life of the deceased and prays for it, while relatives and friends below pray together. After the coffin was finished, one corner of the four carried the coffin to the cemetery, followed by the priest, relatives and friends. At the time of burial, the priest has to pray for the dead again. Whether at the beginning or end or in the church, or on the way to the funeral or during the burial, relatives and friends are not allowed to cry loudly, but can only cry or sob silently, which means not to disturb the quietness of the soul of the deceased. During the burial, sprinkle some flower petals with the soil. After the burial, a cross is erected in front of the tomb, and a bouquet of flowers is placed, so that relatives and friends can leave the tomb silently. On the ninth day, the 20th day, the 40th day and the first anniversary of the mourning, people hold sacrifices to the dead.

In the modern West, funerals are no longer handled individually, but are provided by the funeral home in a "one-stop" manner. Religious ceremonies and commemorative ceremonies are held in funeral parlors. The funeral is also sent by the funeral home hearse. They respected the deceased very much. When the funeral parlor picked up the corpse, other vehicles took the initiative to give way and honked their horns to express their condolences, and passers-by also paid attention to them and stood still.