Being a pallbearer can be tough physically or emotionally. Before accepting the role, it's fine to have a think about if it's right for you. You might choose not to be a pallbearer if: You don't feel you're physically strong enough to carry the casket.
Participating in a funeral as a pallbearer is a time-honored tradition and a sign of trust. It's both an honor and a responsibility. After all, you have been asked to accompany a dearly loved person to their final resting place, which means the family trusts and values you.
Unless the family expresses a desire otherwise, it is customary in most cases for pallbearers to wear a suit, sports coat, and optional tie. It is not necessary, of course, but the dress represents the dignity & respect of the role. Plan to arrive about 30 minutes prior to the funeral service.
Being a pallbearer requires that you help carry a heavy coffin at waist height with the help of five to seven other pallbearers. The weight of both the decedent and the casket varies but expect to help bear 300 pounds of weight or more.
Usually the head end of the coffin is the heaviest, thus the strongest two of your six pallbearers should take the handles at this end.
Due to this heaviness, pallbearers are typically males over the age of 16. However, women can also serve as pallbearers. Those chosen are often close to the departed or the bereaved family.
Is Carrying a Coffin Heavy for Pallbearers? Yes, carrying a coffin can be burdensome for pallbearers. The body, casket, and hardware may weigh 400 pounds. If that weight is divided evenly among six pallbearers, each one is responsible for about 66 pounds.
Try to keep your emotions under control.
Take a few deep breaths and try to keep yourself calm. Crying is ok, but at the same time, the work of a pallbearer is important and will require focus.
Both men and women can be pallbearers, and many people often choose either family members or close friends of the deceased to carry the coffin. Traditionally, there are four to six pallbearers at a funeral, depending on the weight of the coffin.
Both male and female pallbearers should choose clothing that is darker in color. Black and dark blues are often seen as appropriate for funerals. In general, the attire does not change drastically from regular funeral attire etiquette, with perhaps the one exception of ensuring comfortable walking shoes.
Pallbearers need to dress appropriately. Unless the bereaved specify otherwise, men should wear dark, solid suits with white shirts and conservative ties, and women should wear dark pantsuits or dresses. You really don't want to trip when carrying the casket.
Coffins can be lifted and carried on the shoulders, as we've all seen, or lower using the handles, if they're loadbearing. Although it doesn't quite have the dramatic effect of the shoulder carry, it's less arduous on those shoulders and upper arms. It's also ideal when the ground is slippery or uneven.
The role of pallbearer or honorary pallbearer is both an honor and a great responsibility. The duties primarily consist of helping to carry or accompany the casket throughout a traditional funeral or burial.
The annual salary for pallbearers ranges from $30,000 to $60,000 per year. About 50% of pallbearers have a high school diploma. 10.0% of pallbearers are women, while 90.0% are men.
Family members and close friends are common choices. Either men or women can be pallbearers as long as they are physically capable of doing so. Sometimes, honorary pallbearers can stand in place of individuals that are incapable of physically lifting the casket.
Pallbearers are usually close family members and friends. Siblings, adult children, grown grandchildren, nieces and nephews, close friends, and colleagues are all common choices for pallbearers. However, anyone can serve as a pallbearer.
A pallbearer is someone who helps carry a coffin or casket into the venue where the funeral is being held. Usually the pallbearers will carry the coffin from the hearse to where the service is being held. There may be around six to eight pallbearers, depending on the size of coffin.
Why is it that most pallbearers you see during a funeral service are men? Well, the reason for this is basically because of the weight of the casket. It may seem sexist, but the truth is that men will actually really find it easier to carry heavier loads.
The number depends on the handles on the casket as well as those who wish to carry the casket. As such, this number and even are more than eight people. However, six pallbearers are picked to carry the casket during a funeral service often because most caskets have three handles on each side.
Video shows how one pallbearer helping to lower the coffin slipped and fell on top of it, causing the lid to split in half and an elderly woman's body to roll out. The tragic accident happened during a funeral in...
It is a common practice to cover the legs as there is swelling in the feet and shoes don't fit. As part of funeral care, the body is dressed and preserved, with the prime focus on the face. Post embalming, bodies are often placed without shoes; hence covering the legs is the way to offer a dignified funeral.
It is important to note that pallbearer can be any close to the deceased; they are the select family members and friends. They are the ones that carry the casket. However, in most cases, because of the sheer weight of the casket it is normally men that serve as the pallbearers.
A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person.
Pallbearers typically sit together in one of the first rows on the right. At some funerals, pallbearers sit with their family or friends in the congregation. If this is the case, just make sure that you speak with the funeral director so you understand when you are required to leave your seat to help move the casket.