In the US, a coffin and a casket are often used interchangeably, with “casket” being preferred due to its more user-friendly connotation. Americans may distinguish between the two based on shape. Outside of the US, most people refer to all burial containers as coffins. Burial containers can be made from various materials and can be purchased from funeral homes or made by hand. The Funeral Rule allows consumers to bring their own coffins or caskets to a funeral home for use in burial or cremation.
For people who don’t speak American English, the question of the difference between a coffin and a casket might be confusing, because in most English-speaking countries, a coffin is a small box for holding jewelry, while a casket is a box for burying death. However, in the United States, many people use the term “casket” to refer to a coffin, echoing a trend propagated by the American funeral industry, which is very fond of euphemisms. “Coffin” sounds cold and definitive to the ears of funeral directors, while a “casket” seems more user-friendly.
Many Americans distinguish between a coffin and a casket based on shape. They may use the term “coffin” to refer to a traditional rectangular box used for burial, while they think of a coffin as a burial container that is tapered at both ends. The term “coffin” is also sometimes used for a coffin with a split lid that is designed to allow people to see the deceased in an open-casket funeral.
Outside of the United States, most people refer to all burial containers as coffins, regardless of their shape. However, the use of the term “casket” for a burial container began to spread in the 1990s, largely due to the rise of American funeral homes, which have overseas branches in many English-speaking nations. Some people are distressed by the scale of the American funeral industry, arguing that traditional ways of burial should be maintained and rejecting the sometimes gaudy and over-the-top trappings of an American funeral.
Burial containers can be constructed from any number of materials, including plastic, metal, cardboard, wood, stone, and clay. They can be elaborately decorated or left plain, and typically, handles are included to make the container easier to move. Burial containers can be used for burial or cremation, with some companies designing special cremation coffins that are meant to break down quickly into the retort.
In some communities the tradition of building a coffin for the deceased has been preserved, especially in rural areas with a strong traditional vocation. In other regions, people purchase a coffin from a funeral home as part of a funeral package, although it is also possible to purchase coffins through wholesalers, coffin makers, and woodworkers. In the United States, people are specifically allowed to bring their coffins or caskets to a funeral home for use in a burial or cremation, under the Funeral Rule, a law that is supposed to protect the right of funeral consumers.
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