Casket Customs and Traditions 0
Burial customs and traditions are often guided by culture and religious beliefs. The most common method in the United States is to place the physical remains in a casket or coffin. There is a religious group that requires its believers to make sure that the body be held off from decomposition for as long as possible. With this goal in mind, the body is treated with preservatives such as formaldehyde then put in a casket made of metal. The most durable metal used in casket-making is bronze. In addition to this, the metal casket may be placed inside a vault made of concrete or steel to ensure that the enclosed body will never be exposed to the corrosive elements in the ground. This is also an option for famous people who died or those who need to be preserved for science.
On the contrary, there is a religious belief by another group that the mortal remains should go back into the earth as soon as possible. For rapid decomposition, the body is placed in a casket made of highly biodegradable material such as wood or particle board. Similarly-minded people are those who contribute to the betterment of ecology and who opt for 100% biodegradable caskets.
Judaism has strict requirements for its adherents when it comes to what type of casket will be used. The casket for the Jewish must be simple, plain, and joined together by wooden dowels, not iron screws or nails. Vegetable-based adhesive must be used when needed, not glue made from animal byproducts. There must be space within the wooden slats of the casket, to aid in decomposition. Holes are commonly drilled on the sides of the casket. This casket cannot be manufactured on the Sabbath day and must be completely biodegradable, including the mattress made of wood wool on which the body will rest.
