Funerals by faith
What happens at the funeral
Two kinds of people read a page like this. Someone arranging a funeral for the first time, who needs to know what is expected of them. And someone who has been invited to one and is quietly worried about getting it wrong. Both are welcome here.
Sikh funerals
What happens at a Sikh funeral and how long it takes, from the time of death to the tenth day: antam sanskar, cremation, Kirtan Sohila, and what to expect.
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Muslim funerals
What happens at a Muslim funeral and how long it takes: ghusl, kafan, salat al-Janazah, why burial follows within a day or two, and what to expect.
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Jewish funerals
What happens at a Jewish funeral and how long it takes: taharah, tachrichim, burial within a day, and the stages of mourning from shiva through sheloshim.
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Catholic funerals
What happens at a Catholic funeral and how long it lasts: the Vigil, the Funeral Mass and the Rite of Committal, what to wear, and the rules on ashes.
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Orthodox Christian funerals
What happens at an Orthodox funeral and how long it lasts: the panikhida, the sung service, the final kiss, and the third, ninth and fortieth day memorials.
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Protestant funerals
What happens at a Protestant funeral and how long it lasts, from a set Anglican or Lutheran liturgy to a free church service with no fixed text, plus ashes.
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Hindu funerals
What happens at a Hindu funeral and how long it takes: antyeshti, cremation within a day, mukhagni, immersing the ashes, and the thirteen days of mourning.
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Buddhist funerals
What happens at a Buddhist funeral and how long it lasts: leaving the body undisturbed, monks chanting, making merit for the person who died, and up to 49 days.
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Humanist funerals
What happens at a humanist funeral and how long it lasts: a non-religious ceremony written for the person, with no prayers or hymns, and the slot to watch.
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Not the tradition you were looking for?
These guides describe what happens. If what you are really asking is what a tradition believes about death, and what it says comes after it, that is answered separately, one question at a time, across every faith side by side.
Explore the questions