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Today’s visitations are much more flexible than in the past and reflect the needs and lifestyle of modern families. Visitations provide many benefits to the family, friends, and community members of the deceased.

A visitation is a benefit to family and friends because it allows them time to pay their respects, say goodbye, and start to accept the death. A visitation is a benefit to the family of the deceased by providing the opportunity to hear many loving, caring, sometimes humorous stories of their loved one. It helps those in attendance to begin the healing process in a way that is supported by others around them. The most important benefit of a visitation is providing a place for people to come together to honor their loved one and show the family of the deceased that they are valued and supported.

In the past, a visitation was directed by religious rituals which often involved two days of calling hours before the funeral service including an open casket to view the deceased. Today’s visitations are more attuned to each family’s needs. For the most part, calling hours are no longer two days long with both afternoon and evening hours. Most families choose to offer calling hours either just one day before the funeral or the day of the funeral service. But the healing impact of taking the time to receive family and friends to pay respects to the deceased is as powerful today as it was in the past.

An open casket, whether part of a traditional burial or before cremation, is one option families may consider.  Depending on the family’s wishes, an open casket can also be part of the visitation. Some families prefer to have a private viewing with an open casket only for close relatives before open calling hours and having a closed casket for public viewing. In the case of cremation, families can opt to have the body present during the wake and funeral, followed by cremation. Having time to view the deceased can be a powerful experience, especially if friends and family live far away or if children or grandchildren are away at college and didn’t have a chance to say goodbye. 

Rather than adhering to tradition, today’s families often want to personalize a visitation, making it as unique as the individual that they are memorializing. Families can personalize a visitation with photos and videos of the loved one’s life. Personal memorabilia of favorite hobbies or other family traditions can customize the remembrance as well. Personalization is especially important if the family chooses not to have the body present at a visitation.

While some families might not want to impose on loved ones by asking them to attend during calling hours, it is a benefit to those left behind to be allowed the time to pay their respects and say goodbye. Remember, mourners need the time to grieve, and a visitation gives them time to make connections with other loved ones who are also grieving, to talk about the deceased and tell their stories, and to say a final goodbye.

We appreciate you reading our blog. You can contact Raynor & D’Andrea Funeral Home at 1-800-737-0017. Or you can drop us a message here.