Brush Up On Your Funeral Etiquette With These Three Crucial Rules
Posted on: 12 October 2015
Attending a funeral service or a visitation is never easy, especially if you had a close relationship with the person whose death you're mourning. As challenging as the event might be for you, it's always important to remember that the deceased person's family is enduring a difficult time, too. Your presence can lend a supportive shoulder to the family during this trying time, especially if you're careful to follow funeral etiquette rules. Behaving in the proper way at a funeral is about more than just keeping your voice low and your phone turned off. There are a handful of other rules that are important to respect.
Don't Be Late
It should be common sense to be punctual to a funeral service, yet it's common to find people sneaking in through the back doors once the proceedings have begun. If you're running late to the event, don't ever enter the funeral service itself once it's begun. You don't have to just leave the funeral home, though. It's acceptable to wait -- either in the parking lot or quietly somewhere in the funeral home -- until the event is over. At that point, you can join the crowd and eventually seek out the bereaved family members to offer your condolences.
Keep Your Condolences Brief
During the reception following a funeral service, or during the visitation, you'll get a chance to offer your sympathy directly to the surviving family members of the person who has passed away. It's important to avoid jeopardizing the family's time. Offering simple remarks such as "I'm so sorry for your loss" and "Please know that my thoughts are with you through this difficult time" is sufficient. Keeping your message brief avoids taking up too much of the family's time and shows an awareness that other visitors are waiting to offer their condolences, too.
Don't Stay Too Long
It's poor etiquette to dash out of the funeral home the instant the service is over, but it's also a little awkward to stay longer than necessary. At a visitation, staying up to 30 minutes is typically appropriate, as it will provide sufficient time to share your condolences with the family, exchange pleasantries with some other attendees that you know and then leave. The length of time you remain after the funeral service itself depends on the nature of the event. If there's a large reception and the crowd is sticking around, feel free to remain. If people are beginning to leave, follow their lead.
Talk to a service like Linnemann Funeral Homes to learn more.
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