What Does It Mean When It Says Burial Is Private ?
If you are informed that a burial is private, you might end up wondering what does it mean when someone tells you that a burial is private. Actually, the meaning is very simple. It means that the burial is not open to public and only those who are invited can attend the funeral service and burial.
If a burial is private, it is bad etiquette to barge in without receiving an invitation. However, a person can call up the grieving family and offer their condolences to the family. Alternatively, a person can also send flowers or condolence card to the grieving family.
A private burial can be held by anyone, and just close family members and friends of the deceased are invited for the burial. There are many reasons why a private burial is held and some of them are mentioned below.
- When an infant dies, it is quite possible that the grieving family will want to have a private burial for the infant. This is especially true if the infant was stillborn.
- Many times when a very old person dies, the family may opt for a private burial as there could be hardly any family or friends surviving to attend the burial.
- When a person dies due to a crime, then the family can opt for this kind of a burial to avoid media attention and prevent outsiders from being part of the service. The same is also true when the deceased was a criminal who died while serving the sentence or was executed.
- Many times the family gets a shock when a person passes away, especially if the demise was unexpected. In such circumstances, the grieving family may not be emotionally equipped to handle a stream of visitors and mourners. Hence, they opt for a private burial.
- At times, the private burial could be in accordance to wishes of the deceased. This is usually decided before the person dies and his or her family sticks to the wishes of the person.
- However, the most common reason for private burial is the celebrity status of a person. This kind of burial is very common among film stars, politicians and others. This type of burial is to stop people who are not known to the deceased from attending the funeral services. Hence, the private burial ensures just close family and friends of the deceased are present for the last rites. Generally, where celebrities are concerned, the family often has a public memorial service either before or after the funeral to allow fans and general public to mourn the loss of the person.
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