What "direction" does a casket travel?

Question

When a casket is carried into a church, out of a church or to the cemetery, what's the proper direction of the body? Feet first? or head first?

Answer 1

Feet first.

It's feet first, all the websites cited say the same thing.

"The pallbearers should be certain to carry the casket feet first and level at all times."

This applies to both military and civilian funerals.

Answer 2

trying to remember - i'm usually drunk at funerals...

Answer 3

I'd say head first into the church because when you have an open casket funeral, the body is viewed from the left (head at the left, feet at the right.) This is so they don't have to flip the casket around near the altar. I would imagine that the removal of the casket from the church into the hearse would be feet first, since the head of a casket is usually loaded head first. Again so the casket can be placed in the hearse correctly.

Answer 4

Always feet first.  You move the casket in as if the person was walking in themselves, feet first.  When positioned at the altar, the feet are closest to the altar and the head closest to the back, so as to simulate the person is in the congregation.  The only circumstance in which the head would be closest to the altar would be if the deceased was a priest or clergymen, since they are usually adressing the congregation.  This is the only case in which the head should ever be closest to the altar.  (Mind you I am referring to the casket being perpendicular, not parallel to the altar.)  When the layout of the church only allows for the casket to be parallel to the altar, the head is to the left if you are facing the altar.

Answer 5

Head First