#funeralfactfriday — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #funeralfactfriday, aggregated by home.social.
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#FuneralFactFriday: Hell Money
The colloquial name for a form of Joss paper (incense paper), printed to resemble legal tender bank notes.
Rooted in Asian culture, the fake currency is burned as an offering to the deceased in hopes of prosperity in the afterlife. Loose bundles are often placed inside caskets prior to cremation.
In this context, Hell represents the afterlife in general and does not have the unpleasant connotation that Western culture associates with it.
#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralCustoms #Funeral #MortuaryScience #Joss #JossPaper #HellMoney #HellBankNote #AsianTradition #Afterlife #Burial #Cremation #Incense #FunFacts
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#FuneralFactFriday: Hell Money
The colloquial name for a form of Joss paper (incense paper), printed to resemble legal tender bank notes.
Rooted in Asian culture, the fake currency is burned as an offering to the deceased in hopes of prosperity in the afterlife. Loose bundles are often placed inside caskets prior to cremation.
In this context, Hell represents the afterlife in general and does not have the unpleasant connotation that Western culture associates with it.
#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralCustoms #Funeral #MortuaryScience #Joss #JossPaper #HellMoney #HellBankNote #AsianTradition #Afterlife #Burial #Cremation #Incense #FunFacts
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#FuneralFactFriday: Joseph-Ignace Guillotin
Born May 28, 1738 (Saintes, France)
Died March 26 1814 (not executed)
Buried: Pere Lachaise CemeteryMany assume that Monsieur Guillotin invented the guillotine. He did not!
He was actually a physician who OPPOSED the death penalty. Executions at that time were gruesome and prolonged: axes and swords (reserved for nobility) often took several blows, hanging (for commoners) relied on lengthy asphyxiation rather than instantly breaking the neck, and it was highly unpleasant to be boiled, dismembered, broken on a Catherine Wheel, or burned at the stake. His attempts to abolish capital punishment failed, so he instead proposed a more humane method: fast and painless decapitation by simple mechanism.
Guillotin wrote a six point proposal to encourage a fairer system (it also discouraged crowds from hungrily watching public executions by making them boring):
1) All punishments for the same class of crime shall be the same, regardless of the criminal (i.e., there would be no privilege for the nobility)
2) When the death sentence is applied, it will be by decapitation, carried out by a machine
3) The family of the guilty party will not suffer any legal discrimination
4) It will be illegal to anyone to reproach the guilty party's family about his/her punishment
5) The property of the convicted shall not be confiscated
6) The bodies of those executed shall be returned to the family if so requested
His proposals were accepted, becoming law in 1792. The beheading device was invented by the King's physician (Antoine Louis) and a German engineer (Tobias Schmidt). Use of the guillotine in France continued until its abolition in 1981, with the last execution having been performed in 1977.
A letter published in 1795 cast doubt on the effectiveness of the guillotine. It claimed that victims survived for several minutes after being beheaded, though the only evidence is anecdotal & not supported by medical science. Unfortunately, Guillotin suffered knowing that rumor & regretted sharing his name with the device.
#HisAndHearsePress #Guillotine #History #FrenchRevolution #Execution #CapitalPunishment #Beheading #FunFact
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#FuneralFactFriday: Joseph-Ignace Guillotin
Born May 28, 1738 (Saintes, France)
Died March 26 1814 (not executed)
Buried: Pere Lachaise CemeteryMany assume that Monsieur Guillotin invented the guillotine. He did not!
He was actually a physician who OPPOSED the death penalty. Executions at that time were gruesome and prolonged: axes and swords (reserved for nobility) often took several blows, hanging (for commoners) relied on lengthy asphyxiation rather than instantly breaking the neck, and it was highly unpleasant to be boiled, dismembered, broken on a Catherine Wheel, or burned at the stake. His attempts to abolish capital punishment failed, so he instead proposed a more humane method: fast and painless decapitation by simple mechanism.
Guillotin wrote a six point proposal to encourage a fairer system (it also discouraged crowds from hungrily watching public executions by making them boring):
1) All punishments for the same class of crime shall be the same, regardless of the criminal (i.e., there would be no privilege for the nobility)
2) When the death sentence is applied, it will be by decapitation, carried out by a machine
3) The family of the guilty party will not suffer any legal discrimination
4) It will be illegal to anyone to reproach the guilty party's family about his/her punishment
5) The property of the convicted shall not be confiscated
6) The bodies of those executed shall be returned to the family if so requested
His proposals were accepted, becoming law in 1792. The beheading device was invented by the King's physician (Antoine Louis) and a German engineer (Tobias Schmidt). Use of the guillotine in France continued until its abolition in 1981, with the last execution having been performed in 1977.
A letter published in 1795 cast doubt on the effectiveness of the guillotine. It claimed that victims survived for several minutes after being beheaded, though the only evidence is anecdotal & not supported by medical science. Unfortunately, Guillotin suffered knowing that rumor & regretted sharing his name with the device.
#HisAndHearsePress #Guillotine #History #FrenchRevolution #Execution #CapitalPunishment #Beheading #FunFact
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#FuneralFactFriday: Full Body Casket Burial at Sea
🛥️ ⚰️ 💦Did you know you don’t have to be cremated to get thrown in the ocean???
Full bodies can be buried at sea in caskets! It’s not limited to folks serving in the Navy or other military branches. Anyone can do it (not like Dexter, please hire a legit funeral director who knows how to do it properly).
There are a few requirements. If a casket is used, it needs to be stainless steel and have all the plastic inside removed. Twenty holes (2” diameter) are drilled through the casket to facilitate flooding and air venting. The casket must be secured shut with six durable stainless steel bands, chains, or natural fiber rope. Sand or concrete weights are added (no lead) to help the casket sink and stay put. Ultimately it’ll turn into a reef.
If a casket is not used, the EPA recommends a weighted biodegradable shroud. You may also toss flowers or floral wreaths into the water with the body, as long as all materials are decomposable.
A private boat is hired to take the casket, funeral director, and a few guests out to sea. They must travel at least 3 nautical miles from shore and release the casket into water a minimum of 600’ deep. If the boat regularly performs burials at sea, they might have a platform with rollers to get the casket out into the water with a push and a sploosh. A final yeet into the deep.
No special permission is required, short of filing standard paperwork like a death certificate and disposition permit. The EPA must be notified within 30 days. If it does happen to be performed by the military, there’s no family present to witness. It’s just handled on a regularly scheduled deployment.
Would you be interested in a full body burial at sea???
#HisAndHearsePress #FunFacts #FunFactFriday #Funeral #Burial #BurialAtSea #Ocean #Casket #DidYouKnow #MortuaryScience #FuneralService #FuneralDirector #Yeet
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#FuneralFactFriday: Full Body Casket Burial at Sea
🛥️ ⚰️ 💦Did you know you don’t have to be cremated to get thrown in the ocean???
Full bodies can be buried at sea in caskets! It’s not limited to folks serving in the Navy or other military branches. Anyone can do it (not like Dexter, please hire a legit funeral director who knows how to do it properly).
There are a few requirements. If a casket is used, it needs to be stainless steel and have all the plastic inside removed. Twenty holes (2” diameter) are drilled through the casket to facilitate flooding and air venting. The casket must be secured shut with six durable stainless steel bands, chains, or natural fiber rope. Sand or concrete weights are added (no lead) to help the casket sink and stay put. Ultimately it’ll turn into a reef.
If a casket is not used, the EPA recommends a weighted biodegradable shroud. You may also toss flowers or floral wreaths into the water with the body, as long as all materials are decomposable.
A private boat is hired to take the casket, funeral director, and a few guests out to sea. They must travel at least 3 nautical miles from shore and release the casket into water a minimum of 600’ deep. If the boat regularly performs burials at sea, they might have a platform with rollers to get the casket out into the water with a push and a sploosh. A final yeet into the deep.
No special permission is required, short of filing standard paperwork like a death certificate and disposition permit. The EPA must be notified within 30 days. If it does happen to be performed by the military, there’s no family present to witness. It’s just handled on a regularly scheduled deployment.
Would you be interested in a full body burial at sea???
#HisAndHearsePress #FunFacts #FunFactFriday #Funeral #Burial #BurialAtSea #Ocean #Casket #DidYouKnow #MortuaryScience #FuneralService #FuneralDirector #Yeet
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#FuneralFactFriday: The Bathroom Bermuda Triangle, aka the Triangle of Doom or the Triangle of Death 🚽 🛁
This is a phenomenon observed by EMTs, paramedics, and mortuary removal drivers in which a person (living or dead) manages to slip into the area between the toilet, bathtub, and wall while having a medical crisis.
People end up dying on or next to toilets due to a variety of reasons. They might feel that something is “off,” and head to the bathroom to see if their morning constitutional makes them feel better. Sometimes it’s a heart attack, aneurysm, or aortic dissection, often brought about by straining too hard or inadvertently using the Valsalva maneuver. Victims can trigger vasovagal syncope and pass out from the sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. If they bonk their head or get wedged in an unnatural way, they can expire from a head injury or positional asphyxia. Others are lost to overdose or choking on vomit.
Due to the natural size constraints of most bathrooms, it’s extraordinarily difficult to extract an uncooperative person once they become wedged in that spot. To make matters worse, these situations usually involve blood or other body fluids. Medical situations like this often turn fatal since victims in distress aren’t usually discovered quickly enough, plus lifesaving measures are difficult to render if the person is tightly wedged or worse, laying unconscious in a way that blocks the bathroom door from opening.
Do your local medical and funeral professionals a favor: if you feel faint while on the throne, try and fall *away* from the Triangle.
#HisAndHearsePress #ToiletTime #PottyTalk #BermudaTriangle #BathroomBermudaTriangle #TriangleOfDeath #TriangleOfDoom #ToiletsWithThreateningAuras #Death #EMS #Paramedic #FirstCall #BathroomDesign
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#FuneralFactFriday: The Bathroom Bermuda Triangle, aka the Triangle of Doom or the Triangle of Death 🚽 🛁
This is a phenomenon observed by EMTs, paramedics, and mortuary removal drivers in which a person (living or dead) manages to slip into the area between the toilet, bathtub, and wall while having a medical crisis.
People end up dying on or next to toilets due to a variety of reasons. They might feel that something is “off,” and head to the bathroom to see if their morning constitutional makes them feel better. Sometimes it’s a heart attack, aneurysm, or aortic dissection, often brought about by straining too hard or inadvertently using the Valsalva maneuver. Victims can trigger vasovagal syncope and pass out from the sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. If they bonk their head or get wedged in an unnatural way, they can expire from a head injury or positional asphyxia. Others are lost to overdose or choking on vomit.
Due to the natural size constraints of most bathrooms, it’s extraordinarily difficult to extract an uncooperative person once they become wedged in that spot. To make matters worse, these situations usually involve blood or other body fluids. Medical situations like this often turn fatal since victims in distress aren’t usually discovered quickly enough, plus lifesaving measures are difficult to render if the person is tightly wedged or worse, laying unconscious in a way that blocks the bathroom door from opening.
Do your local medical and funeral professionals a favor: if you feel faint while on the throne, try and fall *away* from the Triangle.
#HisAndHearsePress #ToiletTime #PottyTalk #BermudaTriangle #BathroomBermudaTriangle #TriangleOfDeath #TriangleOfDoom #ToiletsWithThreateningAuras #Death #EMS #Paramedic #FirstCall #BathroomDesign
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#FuneralFactFriday: The Bathroom Bermuda Triangle, aka the Triangle of Doom or the Triangle of Death 🚽 🛁
This is a phenomenon observed by EMTs, paramedics, and mortuary removal drivers in which a person (living or dead) manages to slip into the area between the toilet, bathtub, and wall while having a medical crisis.
People end up dying on or next to toilets due to a variety of reasons. They might feel that something is “off,” and head to the bathroom to see if their morning constitutional makes them feel better. Sometimes it’s a heart attack, aneurysm, or aortic dissection, often brought about by straining too hard or inadvertently using the Valsalva maneuver. Victims can trigger vasovagal syncope and pass out from the sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. If they bonk their head or get wedged in an unnatural way, they can expire from a head injury or positional asphyxia. Others are lost to overdose or choking on vomit.
Due to the natural size constraints of most bathrooms, it’s extraordinarily difficult to extract an uncooperative person once they become wedged in that spot. To make matters worse, these situations usually involve blood or other body fluids. Medical situations like this often turn fatal since victims in distress aren’t usually discovered quickly enough, plus lifesaving measures are difficult to render if the person is tightly wedged or worse, laying unconscious in a way that blocks the bathroom door from opening.
Do your local medical and funeral professionals a favor: if you feel faint while on the throne, try and fall *away* from the Triangle.
#HisAndHearsePress #ToiletTime #PottyTalk #BermudaTriangle #BathroomBermudaTriangle #TriangleOfDeath #TriangleOfDoom #ToiletsWithThreateningAuras #Death #EMS #Paramedic #FirstCall #BathroomDesign
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#FuneralFactFriday: The Bathroom Bermuda Triangle, aka the Triangle of Doom or the Triangle of Death 🚽 🛁
This is a phenomenon observed by EMTs, paramedics, and mortuary removal drivers in which a person (living or dead) manages to slip into the area between the toilet, bathtub, and wall while having a medical crisis.
People end up dying on or next to toilets due to a variety of reasons. They might feel that something is “off,” and head to the bathroom to see if their morning constitutional makes them feel better. Sometimes it’s a heart attack, aneurysm, or aortic dissection, often brought about by straining too hard or inadvertently using the Valsalva maneuver. Victims can trigger vasovagal syncope and pass out from the sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. If they bonk their head or get wedged in an unnatural way, they can expire from a head injury or positional asphyxia. Others are lost to overdose or choking on vomit.
Due to the natural size constraints of most bathrooms, it’s extraordinarily difficult to extract an uncooperative person once they become wedged in that spot. To make matters worse, these situations usually involve blood or other body fluids. Medical situations like this often turn fatal since victims in distress aren’t usually discovered quickly enough, plus lifesaving measures are difficult to render if the person is tightly wedged or worse, laying unconscious in a way that blocks the bathroom door from opening.
Do your local medical and funeral professionals a favor: if you feel faint while on the throne, try and fall *away* from the Triangle.
#HisAndHearsePress #ToiletTime #PottyTalk #BermudaTriangle #BathroomBermudaTriangle #TriangleOfDeath #TriangleOfDoom #ToiletsWithThreateningAuras #Death #EMS #Paramedic #FirstCall #BathroomDesign
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#FuneralFactFriday: The Bathroom Bermuda Triangle, aka the Triangle of Doom or the Triangle of Death 🚽 🛁
This is a phenomenon observed by EMTs, paramedics, and mortuary removal drivers in which a person (living or dead) manages to slip into the area between the toilet, bathtub, and wall while having a medical crisis.
People end up dying on or next to toilets due to a variety of reasons. They might feel that something is “off,” and head to the bathroom to see if their morning constitutional makes them feel better. Sometimes it’s a heart attack, aneurysm, or aortic dissection, often brought about by straining too hard or inadvertently using the Valsalva maneuver. Victims can trigger vasovagal syncope and pass out from the sudden drop in heart rate and blood pressure. If they bonk their head or get wedged in an unnatural way, they can expire from a head injury or positional asphyxia. Others are lost to overdose or choking on vomit.
Due to the natural size constraints of most bathrooms, it’s extraordinarily difficult to extract an uncooperative person once they become wedged in that spot. To make matters worse, these situations usually involve blood or other body fluids. Medical situations like this often turn fatal since victims in distress aren’t usually discovered quickly enough, plus lifesaving measures are difficult to render if the person is tightly wedged or worse, laying unconscious in a way that blocks the bathroom door from opening.
Do your local medical and funeral professionals a favor: if you feel faint while on the throne, try and fall *away* from the Triangle.
#HisAndHearsePress #ToiletTime #PottyTalk #BermudaTriangle #BathroomBermudaTriangle #TriangleOfDeath #TriangleOfDoom #ToiletsWithThreateningAuras #Death #EMS #Paramedic #FirstCall #BathroomDesign
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#FuneralFactFriday: Bodies Can Turn GREEN 🍀
Yes, it’s true, and not just on St. Patrick’s Day. It happens when a person with jaundice is embalmed using high index formaldehyde fluids.
Jaundice is a yellow discoloration found in both living and dead people. It's caused by a buildup of bile pigments in the skin, eyes, bodily fluids, and tissue, often resulting from problems with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. A person with liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis is often yellow tinged.
During embalming, formaldehyde can change the yellow bilirubin into green biliverdin. It can range from mild to moderate to extreme. Special embalming fluids (like glutaraldehyde) exist to help mitigate the color issues, but the primary concern is preservation. Color correction is secondary. If the color can’t be addressed with proper fluids and internal dyes, we can use cosmetics and colored lighting to help mask the green.
Fun fact: old school embalmers perpetuated a belief that we could flush jaundiced bodies with milk before injecting embalming fluid. That’s just preposterous. Don’t do that!
#HisAndHearsePress #StPatricksDay #Green #StPaddysDay #StPattysDay #WearGreen #Jaundice #Embalming #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Formaldehyde #Glutaraldehyde #Funeral
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#FuneralFactFriday: Bodies Can Turn GREEN 🍀
Yes, it’s true, and not just on St. Patrick’s Day. It happens when a person with jaundice is embalmed using high index formaldehyde fluids.
Jaundice is a yellow discoloration found in both living and dead people. It's caused by a buildup of bile pigments in the skin, eyes, bodily fluids, and tissue, often resulting from problems with the liver, gallbladder, or pancreas. A person with liver failure, cirrhosis, or hepatitis is often yellow tinged.
During embalming, formaldehyde can change the yellow bilirubin into green biliverdin. It can range from mild to moderate to extreme. Special embalming fluids (like glutaraldehyde) exist to help mitigate the color issues, but the primary concern is preservation. Color correction is secondary. If the color can’t be addressed with proper fluids and internal dyes, we can use cosmetics and colored lighting to help mask the green.
Fun fact: old school embalmers perpetuated a belief that we could flush jaundiced bodies with milk before injecting embalming fluid. That’s just preposterous. Don’t do that!
#HisAndHearsePress #StPatricksDay #Green #StPaddysDay #StPattysDay #WearGreen #Jaundice #Embalming #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #Formaldehyde #Glutaraldehyde #Funeral
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#FuneralFactFriday: Bagpipes At Funerals
Why do we play bagpipes at funerals, especially for police officers and firefighters?
Bagpipes have roots among the Scottish, Irish, and Celtic (plus others!), and were routinely played at weddings, wakes, and dances. When large groups immigrated to the United States after the Great Potato Famine of the 1800s, they brought their cultural traditions with them.
When they arrived, they were met with prejudice. Unfortunately, many Scottish and Irish men were forced into difficult, dangerous jobs like policing and firefighting. Work related deaths were common. The fallen were honored with the traditions of their homeland, which included mournful bagpipe music. The hauntingly beautiful melodies allowed the normally stoic men to shed their tears.
Over time, police officers and firefighters from different heritages began to request bagpipes too. They liked the solemn dignity of the instrument and the unity it created within their departments. They even developed uniformed bands of pipers, known as Emerald Societies (an homage to the Emerald Isles). Many of the bands have over 60 members!
Bagpipe music has also been adapted for military services and funerals of every day people. We've assimilated the tradition into our cultural melting pot of funeral customs. Bagpipers can be hired to play old standards like Amazing Grace and Oh Danny Boy, or a limited range of popular songs (the instruments have nine notes with no sharps or flats). Sign me up for AC/DC's Thunderstruck!
#HisAndHearsePress #InternationalBagpipeDay #Bagpipes #Irish #Scottish #FuneralTraditions #Funeral #MortuaryScience #EmeraldSociety
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#FuneralFactFriday: Bagpipes At Funerals
Why do we play bagpipes at funerals, especially for police officers and firefighters?
Bagpipes have roots among the Scottish, Irish, and Celtic (plus others!), and were routinely played at weddings, wakes, and dances. When large groups immigrated to the United States after the Great Potato Famine of the 1800s, they brought their cultural traditions with them.
When they arrived, they were met with prejudice. Unfortunately, many Scottish and Irish men were forced into difficult, dangerous jobs like policing and firefighting. Work related deaths were common. The fallen were honored with the traditions of their homeland, which included mournful bagpipe music. The hauntingly beautiful melodies allowed the normally stoic men to shed their tears.
Over time, police officers and firefighters from different heritages began to request bagpipes too. They liked the solemn dignity of the instrument and the unity it created within their departments. They even developed uniformed bands of pipers, known as Emerald Societies (an homage to the Emerald Isles). Many of the bands have over 60 members!
Bagpipe music has also been adapted for military services and funerals of every day people. We've assimilated the tradition into our cultural melting pot of funeral customs. Bagpipers can be hired to play old standards like Amazing Grace and Oh Danny Boy, or a limited range of popular songs (the instruments have nine notes with no sharps or flats). Sign me up for AC/DC's Thunderstruck!
#HisAndHearsePress #InternationalBagpipeDay #Bagpipes #Irish #Scottish #FuneralTraditions #Funeral #MortuaryScience #EmeraldSociety
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#FuneralFactFriday: Fantasy Coffins of Ghana
Hey new friends! Here’s what happens: I post fun facts about death and funeral related topics, especially on certain themed days. For the past couple weeks, I’ve accidentally on purpose tied all of my posts to cats (Not literally, don’t ever tie anything to a cat). Sooo, here’s a cat-shaped coffin!
For the past 70 years, master carpenters in Ghana have custom built “figurative” coffins. Families choose a theme based on their loved one's occupation, hobbies, personality, or symbolism from proverbs. You want to be buried in a lobster? They can do that!
The tradition began in the 1950s when the village chief commissioned a palanquin shaped like a cacao pod (it’s a fancy enclosed platform with handles so people can carry you — very fancy). Unfortunately, the chief died before it was finished. The villagers opted to use it as a coffin after parading his body around town in a procession.
The idea caught on. Other chiefs and priests were similarly honored, then regular folks began to request specially made coffins. The idea is for dead people to remember something of themselves in the afterlife and to highlight their social status.
Carpenters and their apprentices hand carve the special shapes from local wawa trees, usually taking about 2-6 weeks to complete. Urgent orders can be completely faster if several carpenters work together. A fantasy coffin usually sells for about $1000, but for perspective, the people buying them are typically earning about $3 a day!
Popular designs include airplanes, animals (family totems), Coca Cola bottles, shoes, cellphones, luxury cars, fish, and Bibles. If you do a Google image search, they’re fascinating to see! Which one would YOU choose???
#HisAndHearsePress #Coffin #Ghana #FantasyCoffin #CoffinDance #Woodworking #CustomBuilt #Funeral #Casket #DeathPositive #FBF #FollowFriday #FollowBackFriday
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#FuneralFactFriday: Fantasy Coffins of Ghana
Hey new friends! Here’s what happens: I post fun facts about death and funeral related topics, especially on certain themed days. For the past couple weeks, I’ve accidentally on purpose tied all of my posts to cats (Not literally, don’t ever tie anything to a cat). Sooo, here’s a cat-shaped coffin!
For the past 70 years, master carpenters in Ghana have custom built “figurative” coffins. Families choose a theme based on their loved one's occupation, hobbies, personality, or symbolism from proverbs. You want to be buried in a lobster? They can do that!
The tradition began in the 1950s when the village chief commissioned a palanquin shaped like a cacao pod (it’s a fancy enclosed platform with handles so people can carry you — very fancy). Unfortunately, the chief died before it was finished. The villagers opted to use it as a coffin after parading his body around town in a procession.
The idea caught on. Other chiefs and priests were similarly honored, then regular folks began to request specially made coffins. The idea is for dead people to remember something of themselves in the afterlife and to highlight their social status.
Carpenters and their apprentices hand carve the special shapes from local wawa trees, usually taking about 2-6 weeks to complete. Urgent orders can be completely faster if several carpenters work together. A fantasy coffin usually sells for about $1000, but for perspective, the people buying them are typically earning about $3 a day!
Popular designs include airplanes, animals (family totems), Coca Cola bottles, shoes, cellphones, luxury cars, fish, and Bibles. If you do a Google image search, they’re fascinating to see! Which one would YOU choose???
#HisAndHearsePress #Coffin #Ghana #FantasyCoffin #CoffinDance #Woodworking #CustomBuilt #Funeral #Casket #DeathPositive #FBF #FollowFriday #FollowBackFriday
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CW: What Happens to Dead Bodies with Catheters, Ostomies, Casts, & Halos?
#FuneralFactFriday: Catheters, Ostomies, Casts, & Halos
(yes, I'm continuing the "cat" theme, don't @ me)All kinds of people die, in all kinds of conditions. Some die mid-repair. Hospitals provide treatment with the assumption their patient will live. If the patient dies anyways, the body can be left with remnants of the treatments. This leads to surprises for embalmers when we open the body bags.
We see common things like tracheostomies, breathing tubes, IVs, colostomies, surgical staples, pacemakers, and urinary catheters (which are all easily removed) and unusual things like halo braces (which have pins that are attached to the skull), surgical drains that end in grenade-like bulb reservoirs, orthopedic casts, and intraosseous IVs (a brutal looking needle that gets jammed into the bone marrow through the shin bone).
We don't have the specialized tools that hospitals use to remove some of these, so we basically figure it out on our own. Once the medical devices are removed and disposed of, we fix the resulting holes or incisions. First we treat them with chemicals, almost cauterizing them. We can fill them with absorbent preservative powders and cotton, then suture them closed. A layer of sealer can be applied on top, and if there's still a risk of leakage, we can supplement with Saran wrap or plastic garments concealed beneath the clothing.
#HisAndHearsePress #Embalming #Embalmer #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #MedicalInterventions #Death #Funeral
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CW: What Happens to Dead Bodies with Catheters, Ostomies, Casts, & Halos?
#FuneralFactFriday: Catheters, Ostomies, Casts, & Halos
(yes, I'm continuing the "cat" theme, don't @ me)All kinds of people die, in all kinds of conditions. Some die mid-repair. Hospitals provide treatment with the assumption their patient will live. If the patient dies anyways, the body can be left with remnants of the treatments. This leads to surprises for embalmers when we open the body bags.
We see common things like tracheostomies, breathing tubes, IVs, colostomies, surgical staples, pacemakers, and urinary catheters (which are all easily removed) and unusual things like halo braces (which have pins that are attached to the skull), surgical drains that end in grenade-like bulb reservoirs, orthopedic casts, and intraosseous IVs (a brutal looking needle that gets jammed into the bone marrow through the shin bone).
We don't have the specialized tools that hospitals use to remove some of these, so we basically figure it out on our own. Once the medical devices are removed and disposed of, we fix the resulting holes or incisions. First we treat them with chemicals, almost cauterizing them. We can fill them with absorbent preservative powders and cotton, then suture them closed. A layer of sealer can be applied on top, and if there's still a risk of leakage, we can supplement with Saran wrap or plastic garments concealed beneath the clothing.
#HisAndHearsePress #Embalming #Embalmer #MortuaryScience #MortuarySchool #MedicalInterventions #Death #Funeral
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#FuneralFactFriday: I missed posting this yesterday because, uhhh newborn kittens, obvs. However, today is National Battery Day, which brings me to this lesson: pacemaker batteries explode it cremated!
Pacemakers must be removed from bodies prior to cremation because their batteries will explode (damaging the chamber and/or injuring the operator).
Pacemakers are easily removed by funeral staff and can be recycled, refurbished, and sanitized. Since the FDA prohibits reuse in the USA, they can either be implanted in dogs or sent to impoverished countries.
#HisAndHearsePress #Funeral #Cremation #Pacemaker #Defibrillator #NationalBatteryDay #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience
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#FuneralFactFriday: I missed posting this yesterday because, uhhh newborn kittens, obvs. However, today is National Battery Day, which brings me to this lesson: pacemaker batteries explode it cremated!
Pacemakers must be removed from bodies prior to cremation because their batteries will explode (damaging the chamber and/or injuring the operator).
Pacemakers are easily removed by funeral staff and can be recycled, refurbished, and sanitized. Since the FDA prohibits reuse in the USA, they can either be implanted in dogs or sent to impoverished countries.
#HisAndHearsePress #Funeral #Cremation #Pacemaker #Defibrillator #NationalBatteryDay #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience
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#FuneralFactFriday: Defrosting graves is a real thing ❄️
As a resident of Southern California, severe winter weather means bundling up when the temperature dips below 65°F. It's recently come to my attention that there are parts of the country that have to literally defrost graves before digging. 🤯
It's not the snow that matters so much as the frost. When the ground itself is frozen, it can add hours or days of backbreaking physical labor to the gravedigging process. It's dangerous for employees (injuries, frostbite, hypothermia, and heart attacks), equipment can break, and sometimes it's just too stormy to even try.
In some places, winter burials are simply postponed until the ground thaws. Bodies are temporarily kept either in refrigeration or mausoleum holding vaults. Unfortunately, it means a delay of closure for the family and forces them to relive their loss again at a later date.
The good news is that technological advancements are making it slightly easier to thaw and dig into frozen graves. We can use jackhammers. There are also special tool attachments for the backhoe, called "frost teeth." We can warm and thaw the ground using propane powered burners or industrial electric blankets.
If none of that works for you, do what I do and live in an area where this situation never even crosses your mind!
#HisAndHearsePress #Cemetery #Gravedigger #Graveyard #Winter #Funeral #ColdWeather #Snow #Ice #Frozen
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#FuneralFactFriday: Defrosting graves is a real thing ❄️
As a resident of Southern California, severe winter weather means bundling up when the temperature dips below 65°F. It's recently come to my attention that there are parts of the country that have to literally defrost graves before digging. 🤯
It's not the snow that matters so much as the frost. When the ground itself is frozen, it can add hours or days of backbreaking physical labor to the gravedigging process. It's dangerous for employees (injuries, frostbite, hypothermia, and heart attacks), equipment can break, and sometimes it's just too stormy to even try.
In some places, winter burials are simply postponed until the ground thaws. Bodies are temporarily kept either in refrigeration or mausoleum holding vaults. Unfortunately, it means a delay of closure for the family and forces them to relive their loss again at a later date.
The good news is that technological advancements are making it slightly easier to thaw and dig into frozen graves. We can use jackhammers. There are also special tool attachments for the backhoe, called "frost teeth." We can warm and thaw the ground using propane powered burners or industrial electric blankets.
If none of that works for you, do what I do and live in an area where this situation never even crosses your mind!
#HisAndHearsePress #Cemetery #Gravedigger #Graveyard #Winter #Funeral #ColdWeather #Snow #Ice #Frozen
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CW: The story of The Day the Music Died
#FuneralFactFriday: The Day The Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa and crashed in a field a few minutes later. All four occupants were killed instantly: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper (JP Richardson), and the pilot, Roger Peterson.
The plane had been chartered so the three musicians could rest and avoid the inhospitable conditions on their tour bus. They were halfway through playing 24 shows over 24 days, driving 300-400 miles daily and zigzagging all over the state instead of making logical, orderly stops.
The substandard tour bus was replaced five times over the eleven day span, subjecting the musicians to grueling conditions. They had no crew to move their equipment, and their long drives on narrow rural highways were done in temperatures ranging from 20°F to minus 36°F. Band members suffered from the flu and frostbite.
Seats on the small plane were limited. Dion (of the Belmonts) passed on the opportunity because the $36 cost was too extravagant. Tommy Allsup allegedly lost a coin toss to Ritchie Valens. Waylon Jennings gave his seat to the flu-stricken Bopper. Buddy teased Waylon about not flying, joking, "Well, I hope your damned bus freezes up." Waylon replied, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
The pilot was not properly briefed on the adverse weather conditions ahead, and he was only certified to fly using visual sight rules. It's thought that he attempted to land using skills he did not have. The plane hit the ground at an estimated 170mph. The coroner cited cause of death to be "gross trauma to the brain." A subsequent exhumation showed the Big Bopper had "extensive, unsurvivable fractures to virtually every bone in his body."
Buddy Holly's mother and pregnant wife learned of his death via radio and television. Months after, new policies were enacted to withhold the identity of victims pending notification of kin. This remains the standard today.
#HisAndHearsePress #TheDayTheMusicDied #PlaneCrash #ThisDayInHistory #BuddyHolly #RitchieValens #TheBigBopper
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CW: The story of The Day the Music Died
#FuneralFactFriday: The Day The Music Died
On February 3, 1959, a small plane took off from Clear Lake, Iowa and crashed in a field a few minutes later. All four occupants were killed instantly: Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens, The Big Bopper (JP Richardson), and the pilot, Roger Peterson.
The plane had been chartered so the three musicians could rest and avoid the inhospitable conditions on their tour bus. They were halfway through playing 24 shows over 24 days, driving 300-400 miles daily and zigzagging all over the state instead of making logical, orderly stops.
The substandard tour bus was replaced five times over the eleven day span, subjecting the musicians to grueling conditions. They had no crew to move their equipment, and their long drives on narrow rural highways were done in temperatures ranging from 20°F to minus 36°F. Band members suffered from the flu and frostbite.
Seats on the small plane were limited. Dion (of the Belmonts) passed on the opportunity because the $36 cost was too extravagant. Tommy Allsup allegedly lost a coin toss to Ritchie Valens. Waylon Jennings gave his seat to the flu-stricken Bopper. Buddy teased Waylon about not flying, joking, "Well, I hope your damned bus freezes up." Waylon replied, "Well, I hope your ol' plane crashes."
The pilot was not properly briefed on the adverse weather conditions ahead, and he was only certified to fly using visual sight rules. It's thought that he attempted to land using skills he did not have. The plane hit the ground at an estimated 170mph. The coroner cited cause of death to be "gross trauma to the brain." A subsequent exhumation showed the Big Bopper had "extensive, unsurvivable fractures to virtually every bone in his body."
Buddy Holly's mother and pregnant wife learned of his death via radio and television. Months after, new policies were enacted to withhold the identity of victims pending notification of kin. This remains the standard today.
#HisAndHearsePress #TheDayTheMusicDied #PlaneCrash #ThisDayInHistory #BuddyHolly #RitchieValens #TheBigBopper
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CW: Cemetery Vandalism and Antisemitism
#FuneralFactFriday: Cemetery vandalism is unfortunately still a “thing”
Based on a casual study done by Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation, there were 184 news reports in 2016 alone describing the destruction of 1,811+ grave markers (costing at least $488,000). The study was based on relevant news stories (as there is no formal database collecting official crime statistics on cemetery vandalism), so the actual numbers are presumed to be much higher.
In 2017, the numbers reflected 105 reported incidents, but with 2,353 gravestones affected, totaling an estimated $1,766,000 in damages.
Cemeteries are vandalism targets for several reasons. Some instances are petty crimes committed by idiotic adolescents either joyriding or expressing their teenage angst, and some are adults stealing metal markers to sell as scrap.
Other instances are racially or politically motivated. Anti-semites still desecrate Jewish graves by toppling headstones and spray painting swastikas to this day.
"Attacking a cemetery, especially one that is all-Jewish, all-Catholic, or whatever it is, is basically an attack on the culture, the identity of the people that cemetery represents."
- Aaron Breitbart, researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal CenterJews have a long history of being targets for desecration, with vandalization of their stores and synagogues in addition to their cemeteries. The acts of prejudice and intimidation predated the events of World War II. This is a longstanding issue, and sadly still present in our society today.
Read “The Year in Cemetery Vandalism: 2016” (the psychology of vandalism) at: http://www.oakandlaurel.com/blog/the-year-in-cemetery-vandalism-2016
And their 2017 report here: http://www.oakandlaurel.com/blog/the-year-in-cemetery-vandalism-2017
#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFactFriday #Cemetery #Vandalism #Antisemitism #OakAndLaurelCemeteryPreservation #Funeral #Gravestone #Jewish #JewishCemetery
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CW: Cemetery Vandalism and Antisemitism
#FuneralFactFriday: Cemetery vandalism is unfortunately still a “thing”
Based on a casual study done by Oak and Laurel Cemetery Preservation, there were 184 news reports in 2016 alone describing the destruction of 1,811+ grave markers (costing at least $488,000). The study was based on relevant news stories (as there is no formal database collecting official crime statistics on cemetery vandalism), so the actual numbers are presumed to be much higher.
In 2017, the numbers reflected 105 reported incidents, but with 2,353 gravestones affected, totaling an estimated $1,766,000 in damages.
Cemeteries are vandalism targets for several reasons. Some instances are petty crimes committed by idiotic adolescents either joyriding or expressing their teenage angst, and some are adults stealing metal markers to sell as scrap.
Other instances are racially or politically motivated. Anti-semites still desecrate Jewish graves by toppling headstones and spray painting swastikas to this day.
"Attacking a cemetery, especially one that is all-Jewish, all-Catholic, or whatever it is, is basically an attack on the culture, the identity of the people that cemetery represents."
- Aaron Breitbart, researcher at the Simon Wiesenthal CenterJews have a long history of being targets for desecration, with vandalization of their stores and synagogues in addition to their cemeteries. The acts of prejudice and intimidation predated the events of World War II. This is a longstanding issue, and sadly still present in our society today.
Read “The Year in Cemetery Vandalism: 2016” (the psychology of vandalism) at: http://www.oakandlaurel.com/blog/the-year-in-cemetery-vandalism-2016
And their 2017 report here: http://www.oakandlaurel.com/blog/the-year-in-cemetery-vandalism-2017
#HisAndHearsePress #FuneralFactFriday #Cemetery #Vandalism #Antisemitism #OakAndLaurelCemeteryPreservation #Funeral #Gravestone #Jewish #JewishCemetery
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CW: Do dead bodies have to wear bras?
#FuneralFactFriday: Bras Aren't Mandatory
Don't want to wear a bra for eternity? No problem! Just let your family know your wishes (and obviously, threaten to haunt them if they don't listen). Embalmers may give suggestions about the most ideal clothing for a family to bring in, but we're more concerned about concealing unpleasant things than about style or impropriety. Most of us will happily dress you in your ensemble of choice. Pajamas, superhero costume, formal business suit with lacey silk undies beneath - it's all good!
Back to the bra situation. We have ways of securing chest parts so they don't end up in your armpits. Duct tape holds everything in place during embalming, then the tissue firms into place and stays put. Weird spots can be filled in with cotton fluff, or my personal favorite: if a woman's clothes include shoulder pads, I remove them (otherwise she'll look like a football player in the casket), then I tuck the shoulder pads into the bra or over the chest area for a smooth curve.
Back in the day, some embalmers used a giant needle and string to suture the chest parts together! Ugh...barbaric. Nowadays, we have more women embalmers and more creative solutions.
Got implants? We leave them alone. There's no need for us to mess with them. If you're cremated, they'll burn up with you. If you're buried, there's no predictable way to know exactly how they'll outlast your embalmed but slowly decomposing body. So, that meme with the implants on top of a skeletal rib cage? If your skin, muscles, and other tissues are gone, then any surviving silicone ball will likely just slide or roll down to the sides of the casket.
#HisAndHearsePress #Funeral #Embalming #Mortician #Bra #Underwear #Lingerie #GhostOutfit #Implants #Boobs #Bewbs #BreastImplants #FunFact
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CW: Do dead bodies have to wear bras?
#FuneralFactFriday: Bras Aren't Mandatory
Don't want to wear a bra for eternity? No problem! Just let your family know your wishes (and obviously, threaten to haunt them if they don't listen). Embalmers may give suggestions about the most ideal clothing for a family to bring in, but we're more concerned about concealing unpleasant things than about style or impropriety. Most of us will happily dress you in your ensemble of choice. Pajamas, superhero costume, formal business suit with lacey silk undies beneath - it's all good!
Back to the bra situation. We have ways of securing chest parts so they don't end up in your armpits. Duct tape holds everything in place during embalming, then the tissue firms into place and stays put. Weird spots can be filled in with cotton fluff, or my personal favorite: if a woman's clothes include shoulder pads, I remove them (otherwise she'll look like a football player in the casket), then I tuck the shoulder pads into the bra or over the chest area for a smooth curve.
Back in the day, some embalmers used a giant needle and string to suture the chest parts together! Ugh...barbaric. Nowadays, we have more women embalmers and more creative solutions.
Got implants? We leave them alone. There's no need for us to mess with them. If you're cremated, they'll burn up with you. If you're buried, there's no predictable way to know exactly how they'll outlast your embalmed but slowly decomposing body. So, that meme with the implants on top of a skeletal rib cage? If your skin, muscles, and other tissues are gone, then any surviving silicone ball will likely just slide or roll down to the sides of the casket.
#HisAndHearsePress #Funeral #Embalming #Mortician #Bra #Underwear #Lingerie #GhostOutfit #Implants #Boobs #Bewbs #BreastImplants #FunFact
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@krassina I’ve been doing some on my own but I don’t mind if others want to get in on them too: #MondayMourning #WordyWednesday #FuneralFactFriday (which could alternately become #FunFactFriday ).
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@krassina I’ve been doing some on my own but I don’t mind if others want to get in on them too: #MondayMourning #WordyWednesday #FuneralFactFriday (which could alternately become #FunFactFriday ).
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CW: Information about cremated remains (consistency and amount generated)
#FuneralFactFriday: Cremated remains aren't "ashes" (plus, how much do you get?)
Cremated Remains = mostly bone fragments, plus some ash from the cremation container and trace particles of brick from the chamber. The fragments are pulverized in an industrial blender (called a cremulator) into a coarse, sand-like consistency. Surgical implants, like hip replacements, are pulled out of the fragments before processing and are usually collected for recycling.
General Guideline: One pound of pre-cremation weight yields approximately one cubic inch of cremated remains. A 150 lb. person = 150 cu. in., now weighing about 4-9 lbs. This varies slightly based on height, bone density, and whether the person was cremated in a cardboard container or a solid wood casket.
This information is critically important if you're shopping for an urn online! If you order one that's too small, the crematory must attach the excess in a cardboard or plastic urn and include it with the chosen urn. An average urn should hold about 200 cubic inches. Watch out for "keepsake" urns which are designed to only hold a token amount (usually 3-20 cu. in.).
Bonus fun fact: the alkaline hydrolysis method (AKA water cremation) yields approximately 20-30% more cremated remains than flame cremation! The process is gentler, so more of the delicate bone matrix is preserved. It's not lost to the air currents.
#HisAndHearsePress #Cremation #CrematedRemains #Cremains #Ashes #Urn #Crematory #Funeral #Death #FunFacts #WaterCremation #Aquamation #Resomation #AlkalineHydrolysis
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CW: Information about cremated remains (consistency and amount generated)
#FuneralFactFriday: Cremated remains aren't "ashes" (plus, how much do you get?)
Cremated Remains = mostly bone fragments, plus some ash from the cremation container and trace particles of brick from the chamber. The fragments are pulverized in an industrial blender (called a cremulator) into a coarse, sand-like consistency. Surgical implants, like hip replacements, are pulled out of the fragments before processing and are usually collected for recycling.
General Guideline: One pound of pre-cremation weight yields approximately one cubic inch of cremated remains. A 150 lb. person = 150 cu. in., now weighing about 4-9 lbs. This varies slightly based on height, bone density, and whether the person was cremated in a cardboard container or a solid wood casket.
This information is critically important if you're shopping for an urn online! If you order one that's too small, the crematory must attach the excess in a cardboard or plastic urn and include it with the chosen urn. An average urn should hold about 200 cubic inches. Watch out for "keepsake" urns which are designed to only hold a token amount (usually 3-20 cu. in.).
Bonus fun fact: the alkaline hydrolysis method (AKA water cremation) yields approximately 20-30% more cremated remains than flame cremation! The process is gentler, so more of the delicate bone matrix is preserved. It's not lost to the air currents.
#HisAndHearsePress #Cremation #CrematedRemains #Cremains #Ashes #Urn #Crematory #Funeral #Death #FunFacts #WaterCremation #Aquamation #Resomation #AlkalineHydrolysis
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CW: Information about cremated remains (consistency and amount generated)
#FuneralFactFriday: Cremated remains aren't "ashes" (plus, how much do you get?)
Cremated Remains = mostly bone fragments, plus some ash from the cremation container and trace particles of brick from the chamber. The fragments are pulverized in an industrial blender (called a cremulator) into a coarse, sand-like consistency. Surgical implants, like hip replacements, are pulled out of the fragments before processing and are usually collected for recycling.
General Guideline: One pound of pre-cremation weight yields approximately one cubic inch of cremated remains. A 150 lb. person = 150 cu. in., now weighing about 4-9 lbs. This varies slightly based on height, bone density, and whether the person was cremated in a cardboard container or a solid wood casket.
This information is critically important if you're shopping for an urn online! If you order one that's too small, the crematory must attach the excess in a cardboard or plastic urn and include it with the chosen urn. An average urn should hold about 200 cubic inches. Watch out for "keepsake" urns which are designed to only hold a token amount (usually 3-20 cu. in.).
Bonus fun fact: the alkaline hydrolysis method (AKA water cremation) yields approximately 20-30% more cremated remains than flame cremation! The process is gentler, so more of the delicate bone matrix is preserved. It's not lost to the air currents.
#HisAndHearsePress #Cremation #CrematedRemains #Cremains #Ashes #Urn #Crematory #Funeral #Death #FunFacts #WaterCremation #Aquamation #Resomation #AlkalineHydrolysis
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CW: Information about cremated remains (consistency and amount generated)
#FuneralFactFriday: Cremated remains aren't "ashes" (plus, how much do you get?)
Cremated Remains = mostly bone fragments, plus some ash from the cremation container and trace particles of brick from the chamber. The fragments are pulverized in an industrial blender (called a cremulator) into a coarse, sand-like consistency. Surgical implants, like hip replacements, are pulled out of the fragments before processing and are usually collected for recycling.
General Guideline: One pound of pre-cremation weight yields approximately one cubic inch of cremated remains. A 150 lb. person = 150 cu. in., now weighing about 4-9 lbs. This varies slightly based on height, bone density, and whether the person was cremated in a cardboard container or a solid wood casket.
This information is critically important if you're shopping for an urn online! If you order one that's too small, the crematory must attach the excess in a cardboard or plastic urn and include it with the chosen urn. An average urn should hold about 200 cubic inches. Watch out for "keepsake" urns which are designed to only hold a token amount (usually 3-20 cu. in.).
Bonus fun fact: the alkaline hydrolysis method (AKA water cremation) yields approximately 20-30% more cremated remains than flame cremation! The process is gentler, so more of the delicate bone matrix is preserved. It's not lost to the air currents.
#HisAndHearsePress #Cremation #CrematedRemains #Cremains #Ashes #Urn #Crematory #Funeral #Death #FunFacts #WaterCremation #Aquamation #Resomation #AlkalineHydrolysis
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CW: Information about cremated remains (consistency and amount generated)
#FuneralFactFriday: Cremated remains aren't "ashes" (plus, how much do you get?)
Cremated Remains = mostly bone fragments, plus some ash from the cremation container and trace particles of brick from the chamber. The fragments are pulverized in an industrial blender (called a cremulator) into a coarse, sand-like consistency. Surgical implants, like hip replacements, are pulled out of the fragments before processing and are usually collected for recycling.
General Guideline: One pound of pre-cremation weight yields approximately one cubic inch of cremated remains. A 150 lb. person = 150 cu. in., now weighing about 4-9 lbs. This varies slightly based on height, bone density, and whether the person was cremated in a cardboard container or a solid wood casket.
This information is critically important if you're shopping for an urn online! If you order one that's too small, the crematory must attach the excess in a cardboard or plastic urn and include it with the chosen urn. An average urn should hold about 200 cubic inches. Watch out for "keepsake" urns which are designed to only hold a token amount (usually 3-20 cu. in.).
Bonus fun fact: the alkaline hydrolysis method (AKA water cremation) yields approximately 20-30% more cremated remains than flame cremation! The process is gentler, so more of the delicate bone matrix is preserved. It's not lost to the air currents.
#HisAndHearsePress #Cremation #CrematedRemains #Cremains #Ashes #Urn #Crematory #Funeral #Death #FunFacts #WaterCremation #Aquamation #Resomation #AlkalineHydrolysis
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Looking to follow people with startlingly unusual content? That's me!
I'm a funeral director and embalmer turned writer and educator. I love teaching others about dead bodies and funerals, but in a light and easy to understand way. I want to help mitigate fear and stigma through open discussion. Ask me anything! (Bonus: if you're a writer, I can totally help set your scenes and ensure accuracy!)
I try to share themed posts like #MondayMourning, #WordyWednesday, and #FuneralFactFriday. I also love books, memes, cats, dogs, dinosaurs, trash cats, welding, and demolition derby driving.
So I'm a bit all over the place, but guaranteed to be one of the most interesting people around!
#HisAndHearsePress #FollowFriday #FollowBackFriday #NiceToMeetYou #Funeral #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience #DeathPositive #Author #Writer #WritingCommunity #Catstodon #Dogstodon #Bookstodon #Bookwyrm
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Looking to follow people with startlingly unusual content? That's me!
I'm a funeral director and embalmer turned writer and educator. I love teaching others about dead bodies and funerals, but in a light and easy to understand way. I want to help mitigate fear and stigma through open discussion. Ask me anything! (Bonus: if you're a writer, I can totally help set your scenes and ensure accuracy!)
I try to share themed posts like #MondayMourning, #WordyWednesday, and #FuneralFactFriday. I also love books, memes, cats, dogs, dinosaurs, trash cats, welding, and demolition derby driving.
So I'm a bit all over the place, but guaranteed to be one of the most interesting people around!
#HisAndHearsePress #FollowFriday #FollowBackFriday #NiceToMeetYou #Funeral #FuneralDirector #Embalmer #Mortician #MortuaryScience #DeathPositive #Author #Writer #WritingCommunity #Catstodon #Dogstodon #Bookstodon #Bookwyrm
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#FuneralFactFriday: Some caskets have holes drilled into them
Orthodox Jewish caskets have pre-drilled holes in the bottom panel to facilitate the body's rapid return to the earth. Contact with the earth and quick decomposition fulfill the Bible's requirement, "For dust thou are and unto dust shalt thou return."
Metal caskets must have a series of holes drilled into them to be buried at sea. There are requirements about strapping the casket closed, weighting it down, and creating holes for water to enter and air to escape. Otherwise they won't sink!
#HisAndHearsePress #FunFact #FunFacts #Funeral #Casket #JewishBurial #BurialAtSea #Holes