Glossary
What is pallbearer?
A pallbearer is one of the people who carry or escort the casket at a funeral, typically from the service to the hearse and to the graveside. Pallbearers are usually family members or close friends, and honorary pallbearers walk alongside without lifting.
A casket is heavy — often well over 200 pounds with the body — so several pallbearers, frequently six, share the weight, three to a side. They typically carry it from the service to the hearse and from the hearse to the graveside, setting it on the lowering device. Honorary pallbearers are named as a mark of respect but do not physically carry the casket.
Serving as a pallbearer is widely considered an honor, and families usually choose people who were especially close to the person who died. If there are not enough able-bodied people, funeral homes can normally arrange staff to carry or assist, and many caskets travel most of the way on a wheeled church truck so the lifting is brief.
For an eligible veteran, the military can provide funeral honors that include a uniformed detail to carry or escort the casket, fold and present the burial flag, and play Taps. Families arrange this through the funeral director, who coordinates with the relevant military branch or the VA.
Related terms
Casket
A casket is the container, traditionally rectangular with a hinged lid, in which a body is buried or sometimes cremated. Caskets are made from wood, metal, or other materials and vary widely in price depending on construction and finish.
Graveside service
A graveside service is a ceremony held at the burial site, usually just before interment. It may be the only service or may follow a funeral held elsewhere, and is often shorter and more intimate, with readings, prayers, or final words at the grave.
Funeral director
A funeral director is a licensed professional who arranges and oversees funeral, burial, and cremation services. They handle the body, coordinate paperwork such as permits and death certificates, and guide families through the choices involved.
Interment
Interment is the act of placing a body or cremated remains in their final resting place, most often by burying a casket in the ground or entombing it in a crypt. The cemetery fee to open and close the grave is commonly called the interment charge.
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