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How do you feel about open casket funerals? Have you ever been to one? Do you have a preference? I've been to half a dozen funerals in the last 2 years, and they were all open casket. I actually prefer it that way. It's not like I have a dead body fetish or anything, its just a nice way for me to say goodbye to their face (especially if I hadn't seen them in a while before they died). I kissed my dead grandma on the forehead while she lay at the funeral home.

But it wasn't always this way for me. My dad died when I was 12, and I saw his body all made up a few days afterwards and it was a horrifying experience. It didn't quite look like him, but it looked enough like him for me to know. Safe to say I was traumatized. When I was that age, my dad was still big and strong and he was my hero, but he died very suddenly and seeing him like that was terrible. But every funeral I've been to since has gotten easier, and now I prefer to see them. That's the weird thing about bodies, they never quite look like the person did while living.

Cremation and closed casket funerals are getting more and more popular as people would often rather not see the deceased. I believe there's some kind of honor in visiting and actually SEEING your loved one for the last time to say goodbye, but some people place their own fear of facing death above paying respects. I've heard that some funeral homes offer a service where you can get pictures of the funeral sent to you via email so you don't even have to go to the actual funeral (and you don't have to receive pics of the body or casket)! I went to a funeral about 2 weeks ago (my aunt, open casket) and there were some people, ADULTS, who didn't get within 10 feet of the coffin and didn't even look. I'll admit that I fear death, and I don't exactly LIKE to see my dead loved ones, but I can set aside my own fears and pay respect to them one last time.

So what's your take?

Boo open casket,

hurray beer! [/redstripe commercial]

Open caskets, never been to one that I can remember, although apparently I have been to one. I'd say its ok if you knew the person well, but not too well, like you could recognize them but not really see them daily. If its someone really close or really distant, then its creepy or just awkward. (Yes thats aukward spelled awkwardly.)

I have never been to an open casket funeral or even a casket funeral all of my relatives have been cremated. To me it doesnt really matter i know that there are differnt ways to prepare a body for funeral for sanitary and religious purposes.

I've actually never been to a funeral, the last time someone in my family or some of my friends was when I was like 6 years old and that was my grandpa, I wanted to go to the funeral to say a last goodbye, but my parents didn't want me to, so I got to stay home instead.

I actually not have anything against open caskets, some people do fear to see the deceased person in it's face and I respect that. But some times you actually have to close the casket. Once when my brother was like 16 and I was 12 he had three friends who drove a moped and crashed, all of them died and their bodies was very damaged, and everyone don't want to see a very damaged body on a funeral, they want the person to rest in peace, and maybe they think they won't if they're that damaged.

Just a thought

Well, yea. In that case, closed casket's probably best. As I'm sure you all know, bodies start to rot at the instant of death, and become unsightly to most people about 1 - 2 days after death. The embalmer's job is to do their best to make the corpse look as close to living as possible for as long as possible. However, sometimes there's just nothing they can do to "disguise" death if the body is too mangled.

But I guess what I'm asking is where do you draw the line between your own comfort with seeing or being near the dead and paying respects to the loved one?

I've been to a few open casket funerals before and I have to admit that I was a little bit creeped out. It made me a little uncomfortable because the head was at a slight angle and looked as if it was staring at you. That was for my friend's mom who had died. But when my grandpa died I think I remember having an open casket funeral. For ome reason I don't remember being as freaked out.

I have been to one open casket funeral and a couple closed ones. I wasnt to freaked out byt the open casket because they put makeup on them and make them look normal, I have noticed that there is much more crying going on at open casket funerals though!

Just a month ago I attended the funeral of my great grandmother. It was an open casket, and I thought it was an alright service. The only other funeral I've been to was for my grandfather and it was open casket as well. I've never been to a closed casket service so I really can't have a preference.

Well then you have been to the worst out of the two. I think that open casket ones are the worst. the other ones are a little more proper and less crying involved, i think

I had no idea there was such thing as closed casket ones, as I've only been to an open one. I guess I prefer open caskets, but I don't really know.

open casket is better(if you have a skilled mortition). Ive been to 1 of each. Ur imagination gets the best of you with a closed casket. If you sit about 15 feet away, and u look at them, they seem to just be sleeping. This helped me loads even though I new it was a lie. My advice, dont approach it if they were in an accident. Reality came crashing back when i saw him upclose and could tell it was just make-up.

I prefer open casket as I feel it is better to say goodbye face to face. even though there already gone eye to eye is always better

My first and only funeral was my grandpa's and it was an open casket funeral and I was around 8 years old and as I seen him I had to cry. Since there my great grandmother died and 2 persons I knew suicided and I didn't go to their funerals.

I think that first and only open casket was too much for me, or I was just to young to handle it.

You kissed a dead chick!

With the logic that open casket funerals are good and that cremation is bad, you neglect to consider the Greeks and Romans, who found a balance between the two with their funeral pyres. You may say this is disrespectful. Personally, I think under certain circumstances this can be the height of respect. Not only is a roaring fire at sunset stunning and invigorating, it makes the moment very memorable, preserving the event forever.

There are two ways of looking at this. On one hand, there's a decidedly discourteous "Out with the old and in with the new" attitude--a kind of Brave New World perspective that I agree is horrible. However, if done right, it could be almost magical--transporting in flames the loved one wherever your beliefs dictate, or if you have none, watching the person's cease of existence in a beautiful and emotional way. Hey...it's how I'd want to be disposed of.

I seen a dead body open casket before. Did you know that when you die your body automatically takes Sh*t! It's true. When you die your intestines let go and then all the Sh*t comes out thats why before I die I want to go to the toilet first.