[andywaite]

> - Culturally, at least in the west, there is a desire to make it look like the dead person is asleep (although things always end up looking a bit off because, well, they're dead.

This is not true for most of the West, open caskets are a bizarre North American thing.

[Beltalowda]

Every funeral I've attended to in the Netherlands there is a wake or viewing the evening before the service, where the deceased is in an open casket and you can come and "say farewell", so to speak. Usually only family and close friends attend this. The next during during the actual service it's a closed casket, and has far more people attending.

My only information from North American funerals is from the Six Feet Under series, which I've been told is a fairly accurate portrayal. It's not really all that different, except that bodies are embalmed.

[jayknight]

In Orthodox Christianity, the customary funeral has an open casket and a point where people can come up and venerate (kiss) the deceased. From what I understand this is a very old practice. There's not much emphasis on making them look asleep though, often foregoing embalming and just getting them in the ground pretty quick.

[dhosek]

You just reminded me of a funeral for a high school friend who was killed in the 9/11 attack on the WTC. The coffin was closed the whole time until at the grave, the Greek Orthodox priest opened it a little for some anointing ritual. There was an audible gasp among those present (most of us present weren't Orthodox), and I remember his mother trying to get a peek inside. Someone who had a better angle said that inside the coffin was another coffin since presumably his remains were in no shape to be seen.

[DocTomoe]

Open caskets are (at least in some parts) an European thing as well. When open caskets were temporarily forbidden in Bavaria because of Covid, there were loud and vocal voices about robbing family of their final moments with the deceased.

[dhosek]

I've been to two Mexican funerals and one had an open casket, but it was arranged in such a way that one had to choose to see the body (I chose not, I preferred to remember him as he was alive). In the other, I assume that the casket was kept closed because of the brain surgery that had been done before she died.

[Renaud]

There is usually a 'viewing' in mortuary chambers where people/close family can visit the deceased a few days before burial.

There is no open casket during the ceremony though. That part seems to be fairly specific to North America.

[dhosek]

In the North American (Catholic) funeral masses I've attended, the coffin was at the front of the church but closed. Only the wake at the funeral home (usually the day before) had the open casket. Funeral services at the funeral home have had an open casket.

[frogpelt]

I assumed the "viewing" was to bring a sense of closure. Maybe that's silly. Does it help to see them dead? The last viewing I went to the person's hands and face were bruised because of IV lines and such. It wasn't nice.

[Beltalowda]

Well, death in general isn't very nice.

I don't know if it really helps; needs a controlled study I suppose :-) I just enjoyed being there with the family. That part did help.