Why Do We Have Open Caskets?
Open caskets at viewings and funerals give people the chance to face their deceased loved ones one last time. While this helps some cope with their grief and come to terms with the death, it is sometimes a traumatic experience, especially for young children.
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Reasons
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For some, open-casket wakes or funerals are part of their families' traditions. Open caskets help some people grieve by giving them a chance to say goodbye to the deceased, face-to-face. Others choose open caskets to make a statement. For example, 14-year-old African-American Emmett Till was tortured to disfigurement and killed by two white men in an appalling incident of racially motivated violence in 1955. Till's mother, Mamie Till Mobley, had an open casket at his service to show the world what had happened to her son. Emmett Till's open-casket funeral is considered a defining event in American civil rights history.
Problems
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Children pose a dilemma when it comes to choosing an open casket. Some guardians want to protect their young children from the trauma of seeing a loved one dead, either by leaving them out of the funeral or having closed caskets. Others arrange private viewings, where they can comfort children if they are upset at the sight of their dead relative.
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Cultural Differences
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Not all cultures encourage or even allow open caskets. For example, author Walter Jacob, in his book "Contemporary American Reform Responsa," states that caskets are closed during Jewish funerals in synagogues.
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