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Pallbearers are friends or relatives who carry a coffin during funeral ceremonies. They may also include public officials for prominent figures. They carry the casket from the hearse to the funeral and then to the cemetery or crematorium. It’s an honor to be a pallbearer, and they should coordinate with each other and dress appropriately.
A pallbearer is someone who carries or assists a coffin as it is carried during funeral ceremonies. The position is mainly ritual in nature, with the majority being close friends or relatives of the deceased. In the case of funerals of prominent military and public figures, pallbearers may also include prominent public officials; the coffin for a police chief, for example, might be accompanied by a mayor and high-ranking police officers as well as more intimate acquaintances of the deceased.
The mantle is the cloth that traditionally covers a coffin, especially in Catholic funerals. The pallbearers may carry the coffin, or they may walk along side it being carried by professionals, sometimes touching or holding the coffin. In many cases, the casket is actually rolled onto a lightweight cart, so no one need worry about coordinating with other people, and for formal funerals, the casket may be carried by horses or other animals. If a large number of people are asked to serve as pallbearers, some of them may carry the coffin, while others accompany it as assistants.
Usually, pallbearers carry the casket from the hearse or private car to the church or other facility where the funeral will be held. After the ceremony, they again walk the coffin on its way to the cemetery or crematorium; if the deceased needs funeral transport, the attendants take the coffin to the hearse and then take it back to its final destination. In a burial, they may help lower the coffin into the ground with the assistance of cemetery staff.
Being called upon to serve as a pallbearer is a great honor, as it suggests that the deceased or family considers the person to be a special friend to the deceased. As a general rule, these people should dress in dark colors and formal attire and, in addition to carrying the coffin, may assist the family at the funeral. For example, they can circulate among funeral guests or support the family during the ceremony.
Individuals who have been asked to carry a casket and who have never accompanied a casket before should inform the priest or other officiant and the undertaker if the family is using one. They can show people what to do and how to handle the coffin. It’s a good idea for pallbearers to coordinate with each other to determine who will walk where and how to dress. If these people will be actively carrying the coffin, they should make sure they are keeping an eye on each other to make sure they are all walking at the same pace.
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