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anonymous
ANSWERS: 1
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I don't know all the American customs - just what I have seen in films - so I might be barking up the wrong tree. In Britain the coffin is often kept in the house until it's time for the service, which also often takes place in the house. It is left open for people to view and pay their respects, but is closed before the start of the service. Under British law the bady does not have to be buried in consecrated ground - you can bury in your back garden if you wish - as long as the council are made aware of the place of burial, the registrar of birth marriages and deaths is informed, and the ground is given a separate deed. After the burial it is traditional for the mourners to be invited back to the family house for a 'wake' (as in 'what is left behind', 'wake' of the ship). This is where everyone says what a good and generous person the deceased was, drinks to the health of those remaining, and generally lets the family know they're not alone.
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