Can a female be a pallbearer?

Who Should Serve as Pallbearers? Traditionally, men are seen as pallbearers. But, to answer the question in the title, yes, women do the job as well. This actually depends on the discretion of the family members, or in some instances, based on who will volunteer for the duty.

How common are female pallbearers?

It is not common to see women carrying the casket, but that is not to say that there is anything wrong with women taking up this honourable duty in a funeral service.

What should a female pallbearer wear?

Pallbearers need to dress appropriately. Unless the bereaved specify otherwise, men should wear dark, solid suits with white shirts and conservative ties, and women should wear dark pantsuits or dresses.

Who should serve as a pallbearer?

In most funerals, there are some common choices while selecting pallbearers. Siblings, adult children, grown-up grandchildren or close friends, colleagues or nephews and nieces are frequently selected as pallbearers. There is no written rule as to who can handle this task.

Who should not be a pallbearer?

Opinions differ on whether family members should be asked to be pallbearers. Some people consider it a no-no, while others are fine with including family members. It's possible that immediate family members of the deceased, like siblings or children, may be grieving too deeply to be tasked with this job.

How to be a Great Pallbearer!

How much weight does a pallbearer carry?

Pallbearers will have to carry the casket with the body inside, so they will have to transport the body's weight and the coffin. 370 to 400 pounds is the final weight that pallbearers will carry if the casket is standard sized, 200 pounds heavy, whereas the adult body is 200 pounds (male) or 170 pounds (female).

Can a woman help carry a coffin?

Both men and women can be pallbearers, and many people often choose either family members or close friends of the deceased to carry the coffin. Traditionally, there are four to six pallbearers at a funeral, depending on the weight of the coffin.

Can pallbearers sit with family?

In many funerals, the pallbearers are seated together in a special section of the funeral setting as a group. When most or all of the pallbearers are family members, they may choose to be seated with their family.

Is it heavy to be a pallbearer?

Is Carrying a Coffin Heavy for Pallbearers? Yes, carrying a coffin can be burdensome for pallbearers. The body, casket, and hardware may weigh 400 pounds. If that weight is divided evenly among six pallbearers, each one is responsible for about 66 pounds.

How strong do you need to be to be a pallbearer?

Or, you may have been selected because of your physical strength. Being a pallbearer requires that you help carry a heavy coffin at waist height with the help of five to seven other pallbearers. The weight of both the decedent and the casket varies but expect to help bear 300 pounds of weight or more.

What happens if you have no pallbearers?

If You Haven't Selected Pallbearers

In these instances, you can work with your local funeral home to assign extra employees to help perform this service. You might also work with a local church to find senior church leaders or even youth who would be able to help.

Do you pay pallbearers?

Pallbearers

If you require assistance with pallbearers, the funeral home can help you hire the help needed. The pallbearers will expect payment for services rendered.

What is the heaviest part of a coffin to carry?

Usually the head end of the coffin is the heaviest, thus the strongest two of your six pallbearers should take the handles at this end.

What is the appropriate age of a pallbearer?

Due to this heaviness, pallbearers are typically males over the age of 16. However, women can also serve as pallbearers. Those chosen are often close to the departed or the bereaved family.

How old should a pallbearer be?

They can be men and women usually over the age of 16. When asked to be a pallbearer, it's an honor and very few people decline this request. Pallbearers play a crucial role in the funeral service, as they're in the public eye.

Do you tip pallbearers at a funeral?

Because these are volunteers who are close to the family or the deceased, it's not typical to tip. If you need to hire pallbearers, however, a small tip might be appropriate. If the hired pallbearers are not a part of the funeral staff, tipping anywhere from $5-15 is fair for this service.

Why do they cover the legs in a casket?

It is a common practice to cover the legs as there is swelling in the feet and shoes don't fit. As part of funeral care, the body is dressed and preserved, with the prime focus on the face. Post embalming, bodies are often placed without shoes; hence covering the legs is the way to offer a dignified funeral.

Should a son be a pallbearer for his father?

Whether it is a father, mother, son, daughter, uncle, aunt, cousin, husband, wife, or best friend, it is crucial that a pallbearer is emotionally, mentally and physically capable of carrying out the task. If any person is unfit mentally, emotionally or physically, they can serve as an honorary pallbearer.

Is carrying the coffin heavy?

Mind the weight of the casket

It's the deceased's body that you have to lift and carry and the casket itself, and the latter can be very heavy. It can weigh 400lbs, in which case six people will be enough for taking the coffin.

Why is a casket carried feet first?

It is symbolic of the transition from life to death, our passage through life to its end. So feet first holds a lot of symbolism and iconography to it, from simply mimicking the way a person would naturally travel to the passage of life itself.

How long does a body stay good in a coffin?

By 50 years in, your tissues will have liquefied and disappeared, leaving behind mummified skin and tendons. Eventually these too will disintegrate, and after 80 years in that coffin, your bones will crack as the soft collagen inside them deteriorates, leaving nothing but the brittle mineral frame behind.

Is it OK to wear jeans to a funeral?

Can you wear jeans to a funeral? Bottom line: jeans are not appropriate for a funeral. Unless the family requests them, you should avoid wearing denim to a funeral. However, if it's a casual, outdoor service, you can consider a dark (almost black denim) paired with a button-down shirt and blazer.

Where do the pallbearers sit?

Pallbearers typically sit together in one of the first rows on the right. At some funerals, pallbearers sit with their family or friends in the congregation. If this is the case, just make sure that you speak with the funeral director so you understand when you are required to leave your seat to help move the casket.

Should a pallbearer wear a suit?

Usually you'll wear a suit in a black or dark colour. However, less traditional funeral clothing is becoming more popular. So it's best to ask the family or funeral director what the pallbearer dress code is. You'll also want to wear sturdy, comfortable shoes in case you're walking across uneven ground.

Why is a casket 6 feet under?

The six feet under rule for burial may have come from a plague in London in 1665. The Lord Mayor of London ordered all the “graves shall be at least six-foot deep.” The order never said why six feet. Maybe deep enough to keep animals from digging up corpses.