As I mentioned before, people tend to not want to think about the old “d” word, especially when it comes to their own relationship to it. What about you? Have you ever considered what you would like to happen to your body after you’re gone? I have, of course, but we’ve already established that I’m a little strange, based on the subject of my blog. I would like to know what you have planned, however.
The Economics of Death and the Afterlife 
March 11, 2015 at 4:08 pm
It’s funny that you ask this, because just the other day I attended a funeral and it got me thinking about the whole process that happens when someone passes away. Personally, I find it so strange when people are exposed in an open casket, and it kind of makes my skin crawl. I don’t know if we still have this practice today because of the olden days when people would sit by the body for days, but I feel like it will maybe become a thing of the past. What do you think? Do you feel like with all these alternative methods exposing bodies will disappear?
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March 11, 2015 at 5:32 pm
My condolences for your loss.
You should not worry since you’re not the only one who finds open-casket visitations creepy. There’s something very off putting about experiencing that sort of emptiness emanating from a body that was so vivid and full of life the last time you saw them. However, it has been shown that being able to see a loved one in a deceased state can bring a lot of closure to those grieving the departed. It’s also a way to pay your last respects. There’s something apparently very therapeutic about the process that can be very helpful in the aftermath of such a tragedy. But like I’ve mentioned before, death used to be a much more frequent occurrence in the past and so most people had a greater tolerance for seeing and touching dead people than they do now. People don’t want to deal with thinking about death; they just want to get things over with.
There’s also the factor of an increased interest in green burial. There are laws set in place by the federal and provincial government requiring that a body be embalmed if the body is exposed for more than 24 hours, or if it must be exposed 18 hours after death. Embalming fluid is notoriously bad for the environment, so green burials tend to have to happen really quickly in most cases, which doesn’t leave much time for a wake.
It’s true that funeral homes have seen a sharp decline in traditional burial practices. They’ve really had to change the way they operate so that they can stay ahead of the curve. Cremation is now the most popular option with most people, but most people still ask for a wake before the cremation process.
I don’t know if it will disappear completely, but it’s definitely a possibility. Religious belief has a huge impact on upholding these kinds of traditions. I believe that certain Christian sects require traditional burial due to their belief that the dead shall rise when Jesus returns, for example. But then again, society is becoming increasingly secular. The way people mourn has constantly changing, so who knows what we’ll be doing in 100 years.
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