The Funeral Procession
The funeral is characterized by a procession through the village streets. Normally, a person carrying an icon draped with a rushnyk walks in front. That person is male if the deceased is male and female if the deceased is a woman. After the icon come women bearing funeral wreaths. They are followed by men carrying the coffin. Women may carry the coffin if the deceased is female. After the coffin comes the lid, then the priest and the closest relatives, then other relatives and friends. Anyone can join the funeral procession as it goes down the street and many people do. These days, if the home of the deceased is far from the cemetery, part of the journey is made by truck. The coffin is placed atop a flatbed truck and taken to within a relatively short distance from the cemetery. The procession is so important, that the final portion of the trip to the cemetery is always done on foot.
The funeral process must stop at all crossroads. When the procession stops, the coffin is set down. Members of the church choir, the pivcha, sing the Lord’s Prayer, and family members lament. There must be a minimum of three stops along the way and if the procession does not pass three crossroads, then a stop not at the crossroads is made. Lamentation is an interesting phenomenon. It requires singing in verse and it is an art form that is still preserved in Ukraine. Many people know how to lament and some can do so for an hour or more.
