A visitation is a set period of time in which friends and acquaintances are invited to meet with the family of the deceased and offer their condolences. Most visitations are held at the funeral home or the family's home before the funeral itself.

Do friends go to visitation or funeral?

You should attend both the wake and the funeral for family members and very close friends. If you're a member of the immediate family, people will want to express condolences to you. Even if it's difficult, being there is important. Here are some other scenarios that may help you decide when to attend both services.

What is the difference between a visitation and a funeral?

While a funeral service is traditional in nature, a visitation is a more informal gathering generally held in the afternoon or early evening the day prior to the funeral service. People typically flow in and out of the space to pay their respects.

How do visitations work?

Visitations, most often at the funeral home, tend to be a time when friends and family members gather together. ... A combination of pictures, flowers, and the urn are set-up in place of the casket; some families choose to not even have the ashes present. People attend and offer support to the family.

What is a visitation for a funeral?

A visitation, or viewing, is a time prior to the funeral where guests are invited to view the casketed body of the deceased. While it is customary to show your respects to the deceased by stepping up to the casket, you may not feel comfortable doing so.

What to say when you attend a visitation and funeral and how to interpret what is said to you

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What happens during a visitation?

A visitation is a set period of time in which friends and acquaintances are invited to meet with the family of the deceased and offer their condolences. Most visitations are held at the funeral home or the family's home before the funeral itself.

Is a visitation the same as a viewing?

Frequently the viewing is done prior to a traditional funeral service and guests are invited to come to the service early in order to view the deceased. Visitation services are times when the family makes itself available to friends other family members who wish to express their sympathy directly.

What do I wear to a visitation?

What to Wear to a Visitation. Visitations, or calling hours, are generally more casual than funeral services. They often occur after the regular work day, so it's completely appropriate to attend a visitation in your usual business or business casual clothes.

What do you say at a visitation?

When attending a visitation, here are examples of what you can say to the family:

• My condolences.
• I'm really sorry you're going through this.
• Your mom was a wonderful woman.
• You loved him/her well.
• I'm thinking of your family during this difficult time.

Why have a viewing before a funeral?

Why Have a Viewing? A viewing allows mourners the opportunity to share their grief, support one another, and say goodbye on a personal level. This is also considered an important event for showing your respects to the family.

Are visitations come and go?

Arrive on time

Typically, a visitation is a come and go event. For example, the funeral home may announce that the family will be available from 6 to 8 pm. This means you can arrive at any time between 6 and 7:45 pm, view the body if possible, offer your respects to the family members, and leave when you are ready.

Is funeral visitation for family only?

If the event is limited to family only, you should respect the family's wishes and not attend. If you are invited to a wake, viewing, or visitation and would like to attend but for whatever reason you cannot attend, you can simply attend the funeral service.

When should you not go to a funeral?

5 reasons not to go to the funeral:

Your attendance at the service would be disruptive or distracting to any member of the immediate family. Your attendance at the service would be upsetting to any member of the immediate family. The services are private and not open to the public.

Who attends a wake?

The body is present at this time for people to pay their respects and offer condolences to loved ones of the deceased. Generally speaking, the public is invited to attend the wake, even if there's no personal relationship with the family.

Should you go to both calling hours and funeral?

The short answer is, yes. It's usually just fine to attend both the wake and the funeral. Especially if the person who dies was someone you knew very well. In fact, most people would consider it the respectable thing to do.

Is it rude not to attend a funeral?

It's considered proper etiquette to pay your respects in another way if you're unable to attend the funeral. While you shouldn't feel guilty if you can't attend, you should take action to honor the deceased and their family.

Should I bring flowers to a visitation?

If you're close family or knew the deceased very well, it's customary to send flowers for the visitation and funeral and in some cases, even to the family's home. If you're more an acquaintance, work colleague, distant friend, etc then sending sympathy flowers to their home or the viewing is a polite thing to do.

What is a wake vs viewing?

A viewing, also referred to as a visitation, is a relatively unstructured and informal gathering that allows friends and family members an intimate and private environment to pay their final respects. In comparison, a wake is a traditional Catholic ceremony with Celtic Irish roots.

What should you not say at a funeral?

Seven Things You Should Never Say at Funerals

• “He/She Deserved to Die” ...
• “It Could be Worse” ...
• “It was Destiny” ...
• “Everything Happens for a Reason” ...
• “At Least…” ...
• “You're Still Young” ...
• “It's Better…”

What should I expect at a wake?

A wake is typically held in a funeral home and takes place the afternoon or evening before a funeral. The casket or urn is on display in a room, and the casket may be open or closed with a small kneeling bench in front. ... When approaching the casket or urn, some visitors choose to kneel and bow their heads in prayer.

Do you bring anything to a viewing?

What You Should Bring to a Funeral, Memorial Service, or Viewing. If you're asking whether you should bring a gift to a funeral service, the answer is generally yes. While a gift is not usually required to attend the service, it's considered polite not to arrive empty-handed.

Can you wear jeans to a funeral?

The most common answer is that jeans aren't considered appropriate funeral etiquette unless requested by the family. However, dark, unembellished jeans paired with a shirt, tie, and blazer for men or a blouse and a blazer for women can be appropriate for a casual service.

Are visitations always open casket?

A coffin may be present at a viewing or wake, and less commonly at a visitation. During a viewing, the body of the deceased is present, often in an open casket. The deceased will have been embalmed and prepared by the funeral home, in most cases, and otherwise ready for the burial or cremation.

Can I see body before cremation?

Is a Viewing Allowed Before Cremation? Yes, a viewing is allowed before cremation. Let's discuss some of the most common options for seeing your loved one's body for the last time.

Why do they call a visitation a wake?

The term wake was originally used to denote a prayer vigil, often an annual event held on the feast day of the saint to whom a parish church was dedicated. ... It used to be the custom in most Celtic countries in Europe for mourners to keep watch or vigil over their dead until they were buried – this was called a "wake".