Funeral Homes | Coffin or Casket?

Funeral homes are the primary source in the United States when you need help in planning a traditional, ground burial funeral. Directors at funeral homes are equipped to provide guidance when making funeral decisions. This assistance can include direction on choosing a receptacle in which to bury the body.

When speaking of said “receptacle”, you might be wondering what to actually call it.  Is it a coffin or a casket? In our country, many people treat the terms interchangeably. But, there actually is a difference. It’s all in the shape of the box. Here is how coffins and caskets differ from each other:

Coffin: Used since the early 16^th century, the term coffin describes a box that resembles the shape of a body. Typically with six or eight sides, it is wider at the top to accommodate shoulders and then gradually tapers in width toward the opposite end. Because of its form-fitting shape, coffins were once given the nickname “heel squeezer”. Coffins can be made of many types of materials including wood, glass, or metal. There is also a new environmentally friendly trend where they are made from bamboo or banana leaf.

Casket: The actual definition of a casket is a box that serves to contain precious objects. It is not known for just for burying the dead. In the United Kingdom, for example, the word casket is actually used to describe a jewelry box. The use of the term casket as a burial box did not occur until sometime in the 19^th century. Today, we see caskets are typically more elaborate than coffins.  They can be made from beautifully crafted wood or metal materials and lined with elegant fabric.  Since caskets are more widely used in this day and age, funerals homes, such as Mountain View Funeral Home, usually have a fine selection of caskets available to order.

When looking for help with funeral planning and ground burial, we at Mountain View Funeral Home know that you have several funeral homes from which to choose. We invite you to browse our website, give us a call, or stop by to learn more about our service and level of care for you and your loved one.