Up next in 10
With so much emotion surrounding funerals, it's easy to see why people simply avoid thinking about them and continue to believe in certain misunderstandings about the process. What have we gotten wrong?
Don't miss a video! Subscribe NOW: https://www.youtube.com/@MentalFloss?sub_confirmation=1
About Mental Floss:
Mental Floss is where curious people come for trivia-tastic information. Mental Floss produces lists of fun facts, debunks common misconceptions, and tells untold stories from history, science, culture and more.
Website: http://www.mentalfloss.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/mental_floss
Facebook: https://facebook.com/mentalflossmagazine
Discord: https://discord.io/mentalfloss
Copyright Notice: This video and YouTube channel contain dialog, music, and images that are property of Mental Floss. You are authorized to share the video link and channel, and embed this video in your website or others as long as a link back to this YouTube Channel is provided.
2025 Mental Floss
Misconceptions About Funerals | Mental Floss
https://www.youtube.com/@MentalFloss
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
The next time you're stuck in traffic and spot a minivan, you shouldn't assume it's full of kids or, say, lumber
0:05
It could be transporting a dead body. Contrary to popular belief, funeral homes don't always use hearses to move the dearly departed
0:12
There's no law or even industry practice that mandates it, so plenty of them make use of unmarked minivans to tote corpses around
0:19
One commercial vehicle supplier advertises the benefits of a Chrysler Pacifica minivan
0:24
which it deems ideal for body transport thanks to stow-and-go seating. Some funeral directors might even have the back seats of their vehicles removed to make room for casket cargo
0:34
Hurtses, which are far more recognizable on the road, are increasingly being reserved for funeral processions
0:40
though converted SUVs can also be used for that purpose. While minivans and SUVs tend to blend easily into traffic, sometimes drivers can get a little too brazen
0:50
In 2019, a Nevada State Trooper pulled over a minivan that was traveling in the high-occupancy vehicle
0:55
better known as Carpool Lane. But the only living passenger was the driver. The officer
1:01
had to explain that the decedent in the back did not really count as a passenger. Hi, I'm Justin
1:07
Dodd and body transportation is just one laugh a minute myth of funerals we'll be laying to rest
1:13
on this installment of Misconceptions. Let's get started. From researching this video, I've realized I'm clearly in the wrong line of work
1:28
That's because according to the National Funeral Directors Association, the business of saying goodbye to the dead takes in about $16 billion annually
1:37
Roughly 23,000 funeral homes in the United States help facilitate that, organizing celebrations of a person's life and helping families process their loss
1:45
With so much emotion surrounding these events, it's easy to see why people simply avoid thinking about them and continue to believe in certain misunderstandings about the process
1:55
So now you know you can't use the carpool lane when driving a corpse around
1:59
What else have we gone wrong? And before I start, I'm going to specify that I'm mostly talking about very specific 21st century American generic view of funerals
2:09
There are hundreds of religions and cultural practices in this country, and even more around
2:13
the world, that can be very different from what I'm describing here, not to mention what can be
2:17
massive differences from state to state. So keep that in mind. This is about very generic practices
2:24
in a specific time, place, and culture. Okay, that out of the way, let's go
2:29
You need to buy a casket from the funeral home. When someone sits down with the funeral director
2:35
they need to go over a lot of details for the service. One of the biggest expenses and most
2:39
agonizing choices is picking out a casket, which can run several thousand dollars. Since a lot of
2:45
people are preoccupied with, you know, grieving, they simply assume they have to buy a casket from
2:50
the funeral home, right? Actually, you do not. Virtually all states permit families to BYOC
2:57
That means you can order a more affordable option online and then have it delivered to the funeral
3:01
home of your choice. Under federal law, the home can't charge a casket handling fee, and yes
3:07
that is what they call it, or refuse it unless it would violate the law or cemetery crematory
3:12
regulations or be excessively burdensome Now why would anyone opt for a third coffin Mostly because it going to be way more affordable The average cost of a casket at a funeral home is about two grand and that a pretty high markup kind of the equivalent of buying soda at a movie theater But a direct casket could run you just
3:31
or even less if you opt for something biodegradable, but you should check your local laws
3:36
You also get more choices. While funeral homes may only offer a handful of models
3:40
a mail-order business can offer hundreds of styles. That's how KISS fans can wind up with
3:45
the $3,000 KISS casket, which it must be said, can double as an icebox until you pass
3:51
And yes, that's a real feature. Let's hit one more misconception about coffins
3:55
Some people opt for sealed caskets on the premise that they can protect the deceased
3:59
from decomposition. In fact, sealed caskets may hasten decomposition and result in a buildup of gases
4:06
If you're interring a body at a crypt or mausoleum, they generally prefer unsealed
4:10
caskets for that reason. By the way, something we wondered as we were preparing this, is there a difference between
4:15
a coffin and a casket? There actually is. Coffins are generally wider where the shoulders are and
4:20
tapered at the head and foot area, while a casket is more uniform rectangle. Caskets also have a
4:27
hinged lid, while coffins offer a removable lid. There's no big advantage to one over the other
4:32
though a hinged lid does make it easier to locate and kill Dracula. You can't have a funeral for someone who is already cremated
4:39
There seems to be one constant about funerals and Hollywood films, and that's the image of a loved one resting peacefully in a casket while family and friends file in to pay their respects
4:50
Some people assume that funerals are only for embalmed bodies. But that's not true. A person can be cremated and still have their life honored in a formal ceremony
4:59
Let's talk briefly about dead body logistics for a second. When someone passes and presuming no autopsies needed for a future Dateline episode, the corpse can either be buried or cremated
5:09
If that can't happen within a certain amount of time, then the body needs to be either embalmed or refrigerated
5:16
So in California, for example, the time limit is 24 hours. If a body is embalmed, it's drained of blood
5:22
and injected with preservatives to stave off decomposition, along with any cosmetic work needed
5:28
to make the guest of honor presentable. Embalming, by the way, is not a permanent fix
5:33
and may only last a few weeks depending on temperature and other factors
5:37
Cremation involves inserting the body into a cremator and subjecting it to heat in excess of 1400 degrees Fahrenheit. In some states
5:45
one can also opt for water and chemical-based cremation, which is a little more eco-friendly
5:50
but results in more of a human porridge. What's left with heated cremation is ash with some bone
5:56
fragments that are then pulverized, resulting in a compact assembly of remains weighing roughly
6:01
four to six pounds. Typically, people opt for embalming when they want a physical representation
6:06
of the deceased to say goodbye to. They can then opt to have the body cremated if they wish
6:11
Some religions, like Catholicism, insist on the body being present, but if they opt for cremation
6:16
right away, they can still have a funeral. At that point, however, it's often referred to as a
6:21
memorial service. Both funerals and memorial services share the same traits. There's a service
6:27
speakers, flowers, the usual. But strictly speaking, a funeral involves a body being present
6:32
while a memorial service is done without a body, either because it's been cremated or because it's
6:37
already been buried In the end you always have the ability to honor a loved one regardless of whether they been preserved cremated or anything else Funeral expenses are covered in wills or insurance Living is expensive but so is dying
6:53
The median cost for a funeral is about eight grand. Though, as we've noted, with caskets, coffins, and kiss, that figure can vary widely
7:00
A lot of people think expenses for their funeral can simply be deducted from the will or from burial insurance benefits
7:06
That's not exactly how it works. For starters, wills often need to go through probate, the process of making sure everything
7:12
being dispersed is all in order legally. Because funerals happen in a matter of days or weeks and
7:18
wills can take months to sort out, families can be left with a funeral home bill marked
7:22
due upon receipt. Some people may instead opt for burial insurance, which is a type of coverage
7:28
devoted strictly to funeral expenses. The problem with burial insurance is that the insured can often
7:33
outlive its usefulness. For example, if your policy pays $10,000 toward costs but runs $100
7:39
a month at 10 years and 12 grand in payments, you've wasted $2,000 and counting. Not only that
7:46
but coverage could be outpaced by inflation. Your best bet to cover a funeral is life insurance
7:51
which typically pays out quickly, sometimes in as little as a week, unless of course your passing is
7:56
suspicious or you can look into veteran benefits. And not to get all Ralph Nader on you
8:01
But you should know that the Federal Trade Commission enforces a funeral rule that mandates funeral homes give you a list of prices either on paper or over the phone when asked
8:12
It'll help make sure you know exactly how much you're spending and for what
8:16
You can and should compare prices between different homes. It's estimated that just one in five people do funeral shopping at all
8:24
Most simply trust the first funeral director they meet to make arrangements. It's not customary for grieving people to think about searching for the best bargain
8:32
but it's also not great to be spending more money than you need to. Only a religious leader can lead a funeral
8:39
Funerals may call to mind a church service in which a priest, rabbi, deacon, or other religious leader
8:45
stands behind the podium and delivers some poignant remarks about the deceased
8:49
and then leads the assembly in prayer. While this is, of course, a pretty common custom, it's possible for a layperson to emcee the funeral
8:57
even if it's religious. There's no legal requirement that says a member of a church has
9:01
to preside over a funeral, though that's typically expected and desired for religious gatherings
9:07
If the funeral is non-denominational, then a layperson, family member, or friend can fill those
9:13
duties. While a party close to the decedent is obviously well-informed, they may not be up for
9:18
public speaking, particularly given these circumstances. Some funeral directors will lead a service, or a family can hire what's known as a celebrant or officiant to handle that
9:27
responsibility. A celebrant is a non-denominational service provider who can organize a funeral and
9:33
lead the service. They're usually put in touch with the bereaved at the request of the funeral
9:37
director. Having a layperson overseeing funerals may become a growing trend, even for religious
9:42
services. According to the BBC, the Catholic Church of Northern Ireland has been recruiting
9:47
lay funeral ministers, who are not priests but approved by the Church to conduct services
9:53
That's because there's been a decline in priests in Ireland over the decades, and there
9:57
are now too few of them in some areas for the number of parishes that need them
10:02
Funeral processions have to end at a cemetery Laying a person to rest typically culminates in the procession arriving at a cemetery or crypt so a person can be buried or otherwise left in a safe
10:13
place. Technically, that safe place could be your backyard. In most states, it's perfectly legal to
10:19
bury the deceased on your own property, with notable exceptions including California, Indiana
10:25
and Washington. And individual municipalities might have their own rules, so check with your
10:29
local authorities. Doing so typically involves observing local zoning laws. Some areas, for
10:34
example, might restrict how close you can bury a body to a neighbor's property line or to a water
10:40
source, or how deep the plot has to be. Other states might insist you use a funeral director
10:45
to help coordinate your plans. There is a catch. You may eventually want to sell your property
10:51
body and all, but prospective buyers may consider that when making an offer and argue the value has
10:57
been reduced, and the new property owners are probably not going to be under any obligation
11:01
to allow visitors to the grave. So before putting Uncle Marty next to the garage
11:07
maybe think about how long you're going to be living there. You have to wear black to a funeral. It's becoming ingrained in Western culture that
11:15
attending a funeral means dressing yourself head to toe in black. Black suit, black dress
11:20
black shoes, black shades, maybe going too far if indoors. Still, we associate black with mourning
11:26
A practice that dates back to at least the late medieval era, and probably at least part of the story is black, was an expensive color to make, so started as a symbol of wealth and a kind of gatekeeping for mourners
11:38
If you were a peasant trying to sneak a peek at a royal funeral, you'd be outed by your cheap brown shirt
11:43
It's true some funeral homes may have a dress code, and obviously you should observe their preferences, but generally speaking, it's not strictly necessary to dress like Neo when going to a service
11:53
The key is going for a more muted look, so instead of a black suit, you may opt for gray or dark blue
11:59
Funeral decorum is more about what not to wear. For instance, a bright red dress may send the wrong message, like you're having a great time and honestly might go salsa dancing later
12:08
You should also stay away from athletic wear, jeans, and clothing that may seem more fitting at a nightclub than a funeral service
12:15
There is one big exception, though. Some people voice their preferences for their own funeral before they pass on
12:20
And it may be their wish for family and friends to stick to a theme, like a favorite color
12:25
In 1990, the memorial of Jim Henson was anything but dour. It was Henson's wish that his loved ones wear the bright colors of his Muppets
12:33
But unless your loved one created Kermit, you should probably avoid wearing green
12:38
We wanted to wrap this video up by reminding you of one funeral fact that sounds like a
12:42
misconception, but actually isn't. Funeral processions on the road do actually have the right of way in several states
12:49
To be clear, the lead car can't run a red light, but the cars trailing the lead can pass through the light
12:55
even if it turns from green back to red, to keep the procession unbroken
12:59
It also goes without saying that if you're on the road but not part of the procession, you should cede the right of way to cars that are, and check your state laws before running any reds
13:09
I also want to make a public and legally binding proclamation right now
13:13
Please, no matter what the circumstances, do not lay me to rest in a kiss casket, even if it's on sale
13:19
Thanks for watching this episode of Misconceptions. What subject should we cover next
13:23
Drop it in the comments while I go contemplate my own mortality. See you next time, hopefully
#education