What is visitation?

The visitation, preceding the funeral or memorial service, is a time when family and friends gather at the funeral home or other appropriate place to share their grief and to offer support with tributes of flowers, donations to favorite charities, cards and prayers. Today’s lifestyle has actually resulted in more people attending the visitation than the funeral service. The visitation is often held during nonworking hours and gives friends and family a flexible time frame in which to offer their support. The casket may be opened for viewing or it may be closed during the visitation. This detail is left completely to the person or persons making the funeral arrangements. Some psychologists and other experts suggest that viewing the body, either privately or during the visitation, is helpful because it erases any denial that death has occurred.