Coffins for Different Cultures

For many thousands of years, humans of different cultures and traditions have practiced at least some sort of burial service for their deceased. According to some discoveries, human beings have been burying the departed since about 200,000 years ago. Even though the earliest human burials may have not made use of a coffin, they did have the belief that the dead would pass on to another life and that the dearly departed would need a proper burial to get there. With time, burials evolved and so did coffins.Nowadays, most coffins are similar and they serve the same purpose that they originally did: to send off the dead in a dignified manner.

Funeral Rites Around the World

In some regions around the world, funeral rites might last up to 7 days.In others,it might be carried outalmost immediately. Most funeral rites use a coffin to lay the body to rest.Whether the bodyis buried or cremated, they usually place the deceased in a coffin in order to be viewed by family and friends first. Regions where Islam is practiced do not use a coffin to bury the body.The deceased are usually placed inside the grave with their face towards Mecca, lying on their right side.They do not cremate bodies at all. Jewish people normally use a coffin to bury their deceased but the coffins lack any ornaments or metal parts because they believe the ritual must remain simple and humble.

Putting Loved Ones to Rest

Each culture has its own way of saying goodbye to their deceased. No matter how long the ritual lasts, the meaning of all burial rituals is the same: to celebrate the life of the person who just passed away and to pay respects for one last time. At the beginning of the service, the family decides on pallbearers who’ll carry out the coffin into the church and out to the burial rite afterwards. There have been cases where the family is of mixed ancestry and have different beliefs: this leads to a mixed tradition burial that can be planned out by the mourning family along with spiritual leaders. The family also decides what type of coffin to use for their deceased.If the person left instructions on how they wanted to be buried, the family should show respect by following them. Degradable coffins are being used widely in regions such as the United States and the United Kingdom as well – a great option for any eco-conscious dearly departed.

Coffins for Any Culture

Today, coffin manufacturers offer any type of coffin you imagine. Most of them can be used for any religion. Also, manufacturers take orders for custom-made coffins.If you’re looking for a specific type of coffin and you can’t find it, you can inquire directly and find out if one can be build for you. Most traditional coffins serve the same purpose: to preserve the body.New findings have stated that sealed coffins slow down the decomposition of the body.