Why carrying casket on shoulders

Usually the shorter people go towards the front. Have someone beside each person to help with getting it up there. A name plaque or something can be used to denote it though. Work orderly, with someone leading everything and work in unison. Log in Shopping basket 0. One person stands on either end of the casket with the pallbearers stationed on the sides.

Everyone lifts the casket at the same time, making it rise slightly off the ground. The pallbearers lift the sides of the casket and place it on one shoulder. Some of the newer caskets feature handles on the side, which make lifting and transporting the casket easier. In some cases, the pallbearers must pull the casket out of the hearse or limousine transporting the coffin.

Also consider the emotions of your pallbearers. If someone might be overcome with grief during the services, that person may not be the best choice as a pallbearer. Serving as a pallbearer is a high honor and an important responsibility to be treated with solemnity and respect. You will be carrying out one of the most important roles of the funeral service. If you have any questions or concerns, talk to the funeral director who can provide advice and instruct you on your duties.

Once you know what to expect, you might feel more comfortable in accepting the role. There is often an area near the front reserved for the pallbearers to sit. You should dress conservatively and respectfully — a dark suit and tie for a man and a dark suit or dress for a woman. Be sure to wear comfortable shoes in case you must carry the casket over uneven terrain. The pallium was carried by a friend or a loved one, while another group of men carried the body mounted on their shoulders.

By the Middle Ages, the pallium simply became the pall, a rectangular cloth that typically covers the coffin while lying in state at a Christian Church.

One group of men were assigned to carry the coffin, while another were charged to proceed along side them to make sure that the pall did not drag to the ground. A pall-bearer in the USA will carry a casket by the handle around waist height. In the United Kingdom and Ireland, the casket is carried on the shoulders as the handles are for the most part decorative.

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