Viewing
Encyclopedia
In funeral
services, a viewing (sometimes called reviewal, funeral visitation or a wake
in the United States
and Canada
) is the time that the family and friends come to see the deceased after they have been prepared by a funeral home. It is generally recommended that any body to be viewed be embalmed in order to create the best possible presentation of the deceased.
A viewing may take place at the funeral parlour, in a family home or at a church or chapel
prior to the actual funeral service. Some cultures, such as the Māori of New Zealand
, often take the body to the Marae
or tribal community hall.
Viewing is sometimes combined with a celebration of the decedent's life called a wake
although in some places the term wake is interchangeable with viewing. Many authorities consider the viewing important to the grieving
process as it gives a chance to say goodbye on a personal level. It also can make it easier to accept the reality of the death, which can often seem unreal especially in the industrial world where death is handled by professionals and the family may only know of a death through phone calls rather than experiencing it as it occurs.
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony for celebrating, sanctifying, or remembering the life of a person who has died. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from interment itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor...
services, a viewing (sometimes called reviewal, funeral visitation or a wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
) is the time that the family and friends come to see the deceased after they have been prepared by a funeral home. It is generally recommended that any body to be viewed be embalmed in order to create the best possible presentation of the deceased.
A viewing may take place at the funeral parlour, in a family home or at a church or chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
prior to the actual funeral service. Some cultures, such as the Māori of New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, often take the body to the Marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
or tribal community hall.
Viewing is sometimes combined with a celebration of the decedent's life called a wake
Wake (ceremony)
A wake is a ceremony associated with death. Traditionally, a wake takes place in the house of the deceased, with the body present; however, modern wakes are often performed at a funeral home. In the United States and Canada it is synonymous with a viewing...
although in some places the term wake is interchangeable with viewing. Many authorities consider the viewing important to the grieving
Grief
Grief is a multi-faceted response to loss, particularly to the loss of someone or something to which a bond was formed. Although conventionally focused on the emotional response to loss, it also has physical, cognitive, behavioral, social, and philosophical dimensions...
process as it gives a chance to say goodbye on a personal level. It also can make it easier to accept the reality of the death, which can often seem unreal especially in the industrial world where death is handled by professionals and the family may only know of a death through phone calls rather than experiencing it as it occurs.