The various words associated with different features of services to honor deceased persons can confuse. People understand that Cremation in Bel Air means the burning of a deceased person to ashes and that a coffin is usually intended for burial in a cemetery or placement in a mausoleum. They may not realize that families can purchase a cemetery plot and have an urn with cremated ashes buried there.
A wake, a visitation, and a viewing are the same in certain respects. These scheduled times allow guests to pay their respects to the deceased person and express sympathy to the family.
The Wake
A wake usually refers to a Catholic tradition, but the concept goes back to days before Christianity. It was a vigil for the deceased person that could last for a full 24 hours. Now, the gathering may occur immediately before the service, or the afternoon or evening before.
A Viewing or Visitation
A viewing always includes the deceased person in a coffin so guests who want to say goodbye while seeing this individual can do so. With so many families choosing Cremation in Bel Air, a visitation has commonly come to mean spending time with the family before the service even if there is no coffin on display. Instead, the family may have some photos of their loved one along with some flowers and, perhaps, the urn.
The Setting
All of these gatherings often took place in a residential setting many decades ago. Gradually, the trend grew toward holding the gatherings at a church or a funeral home. This is by far the typical setting for a wake, visitation or viewing now.
Funerals and Memorial Services
Not everyone is clear about the difference between a funeral and a memorial service as arranged by an organization such as Evans Funeral Chapel and Cremation Services. Funerals generally are more formal, with the coffin on display. Memorial services are more casual and less ritualized, although there still may be music played and a program provided to the attendees. Both services usually have an officiant, often a member of the clergy. Anyone who needs to start preparing for these events may click here.
