Once somone dies, the funeral in the UK or USA can take a minimum of a week?

Question

to take place, yet in hot countries where refridgeration is lacking it can take place the same day, but normally the next day. Which in your opinion is best for the grieving of the immediate relatives. Is it better to dispose of the funeral quickly rather than a drawn out procedure.

Answer 1

Before "funeral homes" and laws were enacted, people used to just wash the person and lay them in the next room during the wake. Basically, a memorial get together while the person was right in the next room. Not something I would like.

I imagine it does not really make much of a difference. Either a day, or a week, the person is still left for their reward. Those of us that know Christ do not mourn as those that do not have hope.

Answer 2

"dispose of the funeral"

in civilized countries we value human life, unlike in some other countries "where refridgeration is lacking".

Answer 3

Some wakes/funerals last 3-4 days depending on the day of the week and family travel to get to the city it is held in. Some religions and climates use one-two days max. I think 3-4 days is average and enough time to get things together and properly plan and bury your loved one without dragging it out. Grief will continue on by the family. Everyone handles it differently depending on the closeness and situation of the death.

Answer 4

When I lived in Africa, I felt that there was a great deal to be said for an immediate funeral at which people could mourn openly in the first pangs of grief and following which the family could mourn quietly on their own. I now live in another hot part of the world where the formalities take some time and where people expect to be able to travel from all over the world for the funeral, so time has to be given to make the arrangements. Having been involved in the arrangement of funerals in the UK, I know that by the time you have made an appointment for the issue of the death certificate and joined the queue at the crematorium (if it is not a burial), it can take a good two weeks to arrange the funeral. This has some advantages, however. There is time to let people know who cannot get away easily from their place of work or who have to make travel arrangements. There is time to discuss the details of the service and of entertaining people afterwards (it is normal to have a lunch or tea party). One can make a start with the apparently endless paperwork and correspondence and sorting out of personal effects. By the time the funeral takes place, people have recovered from the initial shock and entered into a phase of mourning where they are more in control of themselves.

I would suggest that the ideal is something between the two -- perhaps 3-4 days -- to enable people to be present and to permit closure, so that the family can get on with life and coming to terms with their loss.

My father gave his body for medical research and although we had a memorial service soon after his death, the actual funeral was a year afterwards. That was a very long time to wait.