What is Funeral Embalming?

The ancient Egyptian rite of embalming is perhaps the most famous and has given rise to many of the myths, hopes and fears surrounding the embalming process.

The Purpose of Modern Funeral Embalming.

Modern funeral embalming is a different and short lived process. It does not aim to preserve bodies for an eternal period, or even a long period. Its main aim is to clean and disinfect the body, replacing bodily fluid with embalmer’s fluid and lifting the sunken facial features back into a more lifelike look. The aim is to take care of the body for the family before the funeral. It can help the person to look more as they were in life at the viewing or for vigil, if that is what the family would like, but it is not essential. After a week or so the process does begin to degrade and the body, if buried rather than cremated, begins its natural process of decay back into the earth.

Important Things to Know and Do When Making a Decision Whether to Embalm The Body for a Funeral.

  1. Embalming can be expensive. It is not by any means essential and except in very rare circumstances is not required by law. It is a personal choice.
  2. Decide whether you would like to view the body before the funeral. Again embalming is not an essential even if you would like to view the body or sit vigil so long as there is not a long period of open viewing. It can help prevent the sense of everything looking very sunken and the person looking more elderly or sick than they actually seemed in life. However, having a person embalmed can also slightly change their features. It is impossible to control the exact quality of the embalmer. It is more disconcerting to see people in unusual clothes or without their glasses, than whether or not they are embalmed.
  3. Decide if you would like an open casket at the funeral. The more public the viewing and the greater numbers involved, the more likely people are to choose the process of embalming. It is natural human nature to want one you love to look their best in public, and the features of an un-embalmed person who has moved on from this world can look very weary. However, for some the natural look in death is part of the process. Most important of all is to consider the number of viewing days with the casket open before the funeral. Embalming helps preservation of the body for a few days.
  4. Consider what may trouble you about embalming? Take a moment to think through whether the thought of the process might upset you. It is possible the benefits for you and your family of embalming outweigh this worry or indeed the thought might not worry you at all. Sometimes it is better just to ask the funeral directors to get on with what is best, so long as you have defined the financial agreement, and not think too hard about it at all.
  5. Environmental issues may be a consideration for you. There may be questions about the chemicals, which after about a week start to return to the earth through burial with the body itself. You should consider whether this is a concern to you and ask your funeral director for information about this.

Funeral Embalming is a personal choice for those bereaved. The most important consideration is the question of the viewing for the family and the open casket at the funeral. It is an entirely personal choice, although for some it may simply be a financial choice. There is no right or wrong as to whether you choose to have a viewing of the body or not, a closed or open casket, embalming or not. Soon enough the process of nature will begin its task whichever way you decide. It is your personal choice as to whether you would like the embalmer to preserve a more lifelike look for the days before the funeral.

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