Coffin

A coffin is a box or container made to hold, carry, or bury a deceased person's body. It is a standard implement used in burial practices in many societies, particularly in places where bodies are buried in graves or laid in stone tombs.

Coffins are typically made from wood, lightweight metal, or modern materials such as hardened plastic and recyclable substances. The standard form is a long, four-sided box with an open top and a lid, sometimes shaped to approximate the human body.

Use and components

A coffin serves two functions: to protect the body during the period between death and burial, and to facilitate carrying. Some have handles on the sides for those carrying it. The interior may be lined with cloth or wool. In some places the coffin is lowered into a grave; in others it is placed in a burial chamber of stone or taken to the home for the funeral rite.

Religion and custom

Different religions handle burial differently. In Islamic practice, the body is wrapped in a shroud (white cloth) placed directly in the grave; a coffin is not required, though it may be used if local law requires it, when the body must travel a long distance, or when the soil is waterlogged. Christian churches and Western customs treat the coffin as a formal part of the funeral. Some Jewish communities use a simple wooden coffin without metal fittings.

Commerce and regulation

The funeral industry has made the coffin a commercial product with varying prices, ranging from simple boxes to expensive decorated models. Many countries have regulations governing the transport of bodies within their borders and on aircraft, which include requirements for the coffin to be sealed. Environmentally, there is debate over the impact of wood and non-biodegradable materials, which has led to the promotion of cardboard and quick-decomposing coffins.