Religious Funeral Services: Customs by Faith and Planning

A religious funeral service follows the rites of the faith the person belonged to, usually led by a priest, minister, rabbi, imam or other leader. The biggest differences between faiths are how soon the funeral happens, how the body is prepared and whether cremation is allowed. Jewish and Muslim traditions call for burial within days, while many Christian families hold a vigil or viewing first and a funeral several days later.

How do religious funerals differ by faith?

The table below is a quick comparison. It describes common practice, and every community and family applies it a little differently.

If you need the detail behind any row, our guides to Jewish funeral traditions, Muslim funeral traditions, Hindu cremation and Buddhist funeral traditions each go further.

What happens at a Christian funeral?

Christian services vary widely between churches, but most centre on prayer, scripture, music and the hope of resurrection.

Catholic. The Catholic rites have three parts: a vigil (often a wake or viewing), the funeral liturgy, usually a Mass, and the rite of committal at the grave or crematorium. The US bishops say the Church clearly prefers that the body be present for the funeral rites. They say cremation is permitted and is best done after the funeral Mass. The ashes should then be buried in a grave or entombed in a mausoleum or columbarium, and the Church does not permit scattering them. Keeping them at home is generally not permitted either. The Church has allowed cremation since 1963, provided it is not chosen to deny Christian beliefs. See our guides to the Catholic funeral Mass and the Catholic view on cremation.

Protestant and other churches. Protestant funerals usually include hymns, scripture readings, a sermon and a eulogy or words of remembrance. They can be held in a church, a funeral home or at the graveside, and there is more room to personalize the service than in Catholic liturgy. Our guide to Christian funeral traditions covers this, and Greek Orthodox funerals have their own rites.

What are Jewish funeral customs?

Jewish burial takes place quickly, often within 24 to 48 hours of death, according to Kavod v'Nichum, a Jewish burial-society resource. My Jewish Learning says burial in North America often happens within about three days. The body is washed in a ritual called tahara by a burial society (chevra kadisha) and dressed in a plain white shroud. It is placed in a plain wooden casket with no metal, and traditional Jewish burial does not include embalming.

Flowers are generally discouraged at Jewish funerals, and a donation to charity is the usual gift. After the burial, the family traditionally observes shiva, which My Jewish Learning says traditionally lasts seven days, though some families keep it shorter. Mourners stay at home, visitors bring food and three prayer services are held each day. Our guides to Jewish funeral traditions and shiva explain what to expect.

On cremation, Orthodox and Conservative authorities prohibit it, while Reform Judaism discourages it without calling it sinful.

What are Muslim funeral customs?

Islamic tradition calls for burial as soon as possible, ideally within 24 hours of death. The body is washed by family or community members of the same gender (ghusl) and wrapped in a simple white shroud (kafan). The community then prays the funeral prayer, the janazah, which has four takbirs and no bowing or prostration. The body is buried on its right side facing Mecca. Cremation is prohibited.

The Emily Post Institute notes that the prayers are led by an imam and that graves are not adorned with flowers. Because of the short timeline, families often contact the mosque and a Muslim-friendly funeral home straight away. See our guides to Muslim funeral traditions, ghusl and the janazah prayer.

What happens at Hindu, Buddhist and Sikh funerals?

Hindu. Cremation is the standard practice and usually takes place one to two days after death, according to Emily Post. White, not black, is the traditional color worn, and mourning rites continue for a period of days after the cremation. See Antim Sanskar and Hindu cremation.

Buddhist. Practice depends on the school and the country. Lion's Roar describes Zen, Theravada, Tibetan and Pure Land funerals that each have different rites, with monks playing a central role and cremation often concluding the service. Tibetan practice draws on the Bardo Thodol, which describes the period between death and rebirth. Our Buddhist funeral traditions guide has more.

Sikh. Sikh funerals have their own rites, described in our guide to Sikh funeral traditions.

What happens at a Latter-day Saint funeral?

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints asks that its members not be called "Mormons," so this guide uses "Latter-day Saint." Its General Handbook says that when a funeral is held in a Church building the bishop conducts it, and that funerals are not normally held on Sundays. Services center on music and brief gospel-centered talks and should not last more than 1.5 hours. The casket should be closed before the service, and endowed members should be buried or cremated in temple clothing where possible. See our guide to Latter-day Saint funeral traditions.

Who do you call first, and what does the funeral home do?

1. Call your religious leader. They can tell you which customs are required and which are not, and they may need to book the place of worship.
2. Call the funeral home. It coordinates with the cemetery or crematorium, transport, permits and paperwork. If your tradition needs a quick burial, say so on the first call and ask whether they can meet that timeline.
3. Check what you really need to buy. The FTC says the Funeral Rule gives you the right to choose only the goods and services you want and to get a General Price List to keep. No state law requires routine embalming, so you can decline it if your faith forbids it. Our guide to embalming and the law explains when it may be offered.

What if the family has more than one faith, or no faith?

Families often have members from different traditions, or the person who died may not have been observant. Start with what the person wanted, then ask each religious leader what they can take part in. Many families ask one leader to lead the service and include a reading or prayer from another tradition, or hold a separate gathering for the other side of the family.

If guests will not know the rites, a short note in the program explaining when to stand, why candles or incense are used and what is expected can make people feel welcome. Our guide to interfaith funeral planning has more on this, and what to wear to a funeral covers dress, which varies by faith.

Are religious funerals becoming less common?

Many families now choose cremation and shorter or more personal services. The NFDA projected a 2025 cremation rate of 63.4% in the United States and a burial rate of 31.6%. A growing number of families also hold a memorial after a cremation rather than a church service with the body present. This does not mean faith has left the picture, because a service can still include prayers, scripture or religious music. Our guides to celebration of life and memorial vs funeral services explain the options.

What to do next

1. Write down what the person who died said about faith, burial or cremation, and any instructions left with a religious community.
2. Call your religious leader, then the funeral home, and ask about timing first.
3. Ask the funeral home for its General Price List before you agree to anything.
4. Ask your leader what is required and what is optional, then decide on music, readings and who will speak.