Again, either the funeral director or embalmer typically performs the cosmetic procedures necessary for the presentation of a body. Depending on the cause of death and whether an autopsy has been performed, you may need to shape or reconstruct parts of the deceased's body.
Embalmers are licensed in every aspect of preparing and preserving the body. The embalming process includes washing the body, preserving it with embalming fluid, arranging the body for display, dressing the body, grooming the body, and applying cosmetics to make the body look as lifelike as is possible.
Traditionally we've seen men (or boys) in suits and women in dresses, but there are no rules on how the deceased is dressed. What's becoming more common is dressing the deceased in clothing and accessories that display what type of person they were – or what they really enjoyed.
To do this, they'll typically have to either embalm it, refrigerate it, or do both of these things, depending on how long it'll be before the viewing. This will ensure that your loved one's body is able to hang in there until their viewing is scheduled.
Prepare and dress the body of the person who has died. Prepare for a viewing in a chapel of rest, if this is something you'd like to do. Take care of the paperwork including making the application for the burial or cremation. Arrange the venue for the funeral service and cremation or burial.
A body may be different in death to life because:
a mortician or funeral director has changed a body's appearance through clothing, or hair arrangement, or cosmetics. Such “dressing” of the body may be very different to how the person in life would have done it. the body smells different.
Simple linen or cloth robes are safe to go into the cremator and are easy for funeral directors to dress the person with. Most crematoriums provide these. You might ask for a funeral gown if you're not sure what to dress the person who's died in.
Embalmers are in charge of preserving a body and restoring its appearance for a viewing.
Although the body may look 'lifelike', the skin will feel cold and waxy to the touch. The fingers will move as they would have done in life, because the stiffness caused by rigor mortis soon after death will have passed off naturally.
When the funeral director begins the embalming process, he places the body on a special porcelain or stainless steel table that looks much like what you'd find in an operating room. He washes the body with soap and water and positions it with the hands crossed over the abdomen, as you'd see them appear in a casket.
Preferably no bare legs. Wear dark stockings or ultra sheer nude hose to show respect. Nothing flashy or bright. If your style is to wear colorful clothes, tone it down for a funeral.
What is appropriate clothing for a funeral? Traditionally, funeral etiquette suggests men and women wear black clothing that's conservative and respectful. Black or dark colours are most common, but some cultures expect mourners to wear a less traditional funeral colour.
Dress Conservatively
Black is still the safest color for funeral attire, but you don't have to wear solid black. A black suit with a white shirt is acceptable or a dress that's mostly black but has a subtle color in the pattern is also fine to wear.
Do they remove organs when you are embalmed? One of the most common questions people have about embalming is whether or not organs are removed. The answer is no; all of the organs remain in the body during the embalming process.
Trimming hair and nails
Generally, this emanates from the belief that nails and hair were given to the children by the deceased as a parent and as such they shouldn't be trimmed during the mourning period and after the burial. At least you should wait for 49 days.
Instead of preparing the body with chemicals, morticians will store it in a fridge that keeps the body at two degrees Celsius. However, like embalming, it's important to remember that this merely slows the decomposition process – it doesn't stop it. A refrigerated body will last three to four weeks.
If you have an adult with you at the funeral home, it is ok to touch a dead body, and you will not get in trouble. You are naturally curious, and sometimes when you see and touch a dead body it helps you answer your questions. Remember to be gentle and have an adult help you.
Some pagan traditions believe that the soul of a recently deceased person continues to wander the earth for forty days; other religious traditions believe the soul will rest in the Lord's hands after death. The number 40 is often used in many spiritual traditions, but the specific reason is unknown.
The family will be charged for refrigeration. The body should be embalmed within 48 hours of death if the family plans to have a public viewing of the body. Each state has its own laws regarding the length of time that can pass between death and embalming. You shouldn't wait for more than a week before embalming.
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.
Many funeral homes will not allow a public viewing unless embalming is performed. It is not a state or federal law that embalming be required. It is only a regulation by certain funeral homes. The regulation exists for many reasons including health safety, liability, and other undesired effects of decomposition.
And if the body is floating in water less than 70 degrees Fahrenheit (21 degrees Celsius) for about three weeks, the tissues turn into a soapy fatty acid known as "grave wax" that halts bacterial growth. The skin, however, will still blister and turn greenish black.
The mouth can be closed by suture or by using a device that involves placing two small tacks (one anchored in the mandible and the other in the maxilla) in the jaw. The tacks have wires that are then twisted together to hold the mouth closed. This is almost always done because, when relaxed, the mouth stays open.
Female Attire
Most women will wear skirt or pant suits, depending on the dress code, with a white blouse underneath. For removals, either stick to pants or make sure your skirt hits below the knees.
Your loved ones eyes are closed using glue or plastic eye caps that sit on the eye and hold the eyelid in place. The lower jaw is secured by wires or sewing. Once the jaw is secured the mouth can be manipulated into the desired position.