56. Funeral Customs in the United States

America is one of the most diversified countries the world. It is comprised of many different from Latin America, Europe, Asia, and Africa. It truly a melting pot of diversity. All these have come together to create a new culture - American culture. Many of the traditions, customs, , and celebrations of these cultures have been adopted American culture, including funeral traditions.

Traditional American funerals basic. They usually include some sort of religious , followed by a procession to the burial grounds, a small ceremony at the grave site, but vary depending on the culture. At most American , the deceased person's family sends out a death called an obituary. These obits normally serve to information to others about the deceased, and the and day of the funeral event. At the service, the deceased is usually eulogized by friends family. This is where a person goes up the front of the crowd to say a things about the deceased, and how he or affected their life. The procession usually takes the of a caravan of private cars, and trucks follow the hearse, which contains the deceased's coffin, remains.

At the gravesite, another small ritual takes where the deceased is given a blessing from member of the clergy. Friends and family are allowed to say goodbye to the deceased. There an American tradition of picking up a handful soil, and tossing it on the coffin as way of saying farewell to the deceased. The then gathers at a home, or restaurant with of the attendees to have a meal, and exchange stories before going on their way. Most in the U.S. have adopted this traditional American ritual, but many include features that are unique their individual culture.