The Funeral Ritual for a Deceased Relative: The Factors Which Respectively Decrease and Increase the Distress of the Bereaved

The funeral ceremony is an event designed for the wider community. The bereaved has to process the funeral ceremony by itself as well as various events connected with it. Since these can be experienced either as a source of additional stress or as a support which relieves distress, it is important to study the influence of those factors on the bereavement process. Our research included 18 bereaved individuals of both genders who suffered after they had lost a close family member (partner, parent, child) from various causes within one to two years prior to the interview. An in-depth structured interview was carried out with every participant on the following three topics: the organisation and execution of the funeral; the presence of other people at the funeral; the dress code at and after the funeral. According to our research, the most common factors that relieve distress are: knowing the wishes of the deceased about the desired form of the funeral, large numbers of people attending the funeral, and the possibility for the bereaved to choose the dress colour code at and after the funeral. On the other hand, the stress of the bereaved may be exacerbated during the funeral by not having enough time to say farewell, by the undertakers’ insensitivity and blunders, and by the pressure of the environment to wear mourning.