Funerals In American Funeral

The disposition of the dead is facilitated in variety of ways because people have died at all points in history and the living have always mourned the dearth of loved ones with some type of ceremony. The way a person is buried is sometimes the deceased person’s wishes as stated in a will or legal document or it could be the decision of the family. But most times once you are dead others can do with your body as they wish.

In modern day America, a lot of changes have occurred with a standard funeral. A standard funeral is viewed as a coping mechanism for the living. While coping with death, there are several ways that a body can be disposed .A body can be buried in the earth, buried in the sea, burned (cremation), exposed to air or preserved. After the body is buried, a memorial service is held in honor of the deceased. The manner in which the body is prepared for the funeral and the manner the memorial service is held is determined by the person’s culture and religion.

Living in a society where several cultures and religious beliefs are represented, such an event as memorable as death is bound to be celebrated differently. The paper attempts to look at the various ways different culture and religious practices prepare the body of the deceased for burial and the role of health care workers.

Christian’s belief that when they die, the soul goes to heaven, therefore funerals are viewed as a thing of joy for the family. Sadness is expressed because the person will be missed. A Christian ceremony will depend on the religious group the person belongs to(Anglican,catholic,jew,Baptist etc) A Christian may decide to be buried or cremated and the ceremony will be held in deceased’s person church which could involve the singing of songs ,hym...

... middle of paper ...

...y if at all possible. The healthcare worker should wash away excess blood, fluids or excrement from the body. There is a ritual washing of the body performed by a same-sex Muslim as soon as possible. Nails should be cleaned and shortened Nails should be cleaned and shortened. Muslims are always buried and never cremated because cremation is forbidden by Islamic law. Life after death will continue in a form for which the preservation of the body is absolutely essential (Parkes et al, 1997).

It is customary, if the dying patient is wealthy, that his/her relatives put a semiprecious stone like agate with 14 prayers (panj-tan) carved on it by handicrafts specialists. This is placed under the decease's tongue after completion of funeral rites and before placing the dead person in the grave. It is believed that the panj-tan enables the deceased to answer properly once.