Burial outfit for the deceased

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on_the_hill

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Are there official rules about what sort of clothing the deceased must wear for burial? I’ve heard that appropriate undergarments have to be worn (for example, a bra). This can’t possibly be true, can it?
 
I had heard a story of how a frail 95 year old woman, who hadn’t worn a bra in years, passed away and her daughter had to rush out to find a bra for her because of some ‘burial rule.’ There is some notion that, because the family had a past history of Catholicism, this may be a Catholic rule. The burial itself was Lutheran.
 
In some cases, it may have to do with laws in particular states.
As far as I know, there are no “Catholic” requirements as to what one wears to be buried.

On a side note, my great-grandmother had to go buy my great-grandfather new shoes to be buried in.
Yes, you read that right. New shoes, for my deceased grandfather, to be buried with.
Grandma did not want him meeting St. Peter with scuffed and worn shoes. 😉🤷‍♀️
 
The undertaker generally asks that you please bring underwear. If you are going to have the person laid out in an open casket then the appropriate undergarments are what would normally be worn with the outfit you want the person buried in and would generally involve a bra for a woman if her bust size and/or the planned burial outfit called for it.

There is no “burial rule” about the corpse having to wear a bra. I can’t remember if I took a bra in for my mother; she was 89, didn’t have that much bust, and hadn’t had a bra that fit her properly in years. I may have taken in an undershirt because the top I chose was a little sheer. It may be that the particular undertaker asked someone to make sure they brought a bra because they’d had a lot of bad experiences with trying to dress female corpses without a bra.
 
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Yes, although not a catholic “thing”, most funeral homes require underwear (bras and panties) and a full outfit including shoes. I know this having just gone through picking out an outfit for my mom.
 
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CilladeRoma said:
On a side note, my great-grandmother had to go buy my great-grandfather new shoes to be buried in.
Yes, you read that right. New shoes, for my deceased grandfather, to be buried with.
Grandma did not want him meeting St. Peter with scuffed and worn shoes. 😉🤷‍♀️
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I buried my husband in one of his nice suits that he had worn out with me many times in previous years, but that I found hanging in his closet when he passed, because on its last wearing he had split the seat of the suit pants in the cloth part (not the seam part) and they couldn’t be repaired. The split was in the back and I figured he would be laying down anyway so why not get one more use out of one of his favorite suits? I just hope Jesus who is going to make all things new will repair the split in the seat before my husband in his body resurrects out of the casket because otherwise he is going to give me his annoyed pursey-faced look about having a split in the seat of his pants.

I did put a brand new shirt on him and brand new everything else because he just happened to have bought some new things right before he expired.
 
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Tis_Bearself said:
I just hope Jesus who is going to make all things new will repair the split in the seat before my husband in his body resurrects out of the casket because otherwise he is going to give me his annoyed pursey-faced look about having a split in the seat of his pants.
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Had to chuckle at that!
 
Speaking of new shoes–
When I was in 6th grade I attended a Catholic school. An elderly priest died. At his funeral Mass, all of us filed past his open casket to receive Communion.
The part I remember most vividly as I squeezed between the pews and the bier is that the soles of his shoes were absolutely pristine. Thick, glossy light tan leather.
They must’ve been brand new!
 
This. No one would have recognized my husband in a suit. He was buried in his favorite type of clothes - jeans, a T-shirt, and a plaid flannel shirt. So many people at the Rosary and funeral remarked on how perfect that was.
 
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But, closed casket… what then? Some want to go out wearing what they came in with.
And what if they were a nudist?

As I recall, Church teaching/rules apply to the remains, not the clothing per se.
 
The Church does not require a special outfit, nor do they require embalming, a viewing, any of these costly extras.
 
on_the_hill said:
Are there official rules about what sort of clothing the deceased must wear for burial? I’ve heard that appropriate undergarments have to be worn (for example, a bra). This can’t possibly be true, can it?
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My EDUCATED GUESS regarding why a bra is required by funeral home directors MIGHT have to with open caskets. When in the casket, it’s possible for the body to move when transporting the casket.

Plus, it’s just a matter of dignity for the dead. People who lay out the dead typically treat the dead like they are still alive (based on a funeral website I read).
 
TheLittleLady said:
nor do they require embalming
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If you are not planning on cremating the remains, embalming may be a requirement of the state or municipality depending on where you are planning to bury the person, whether the body needs to be transported a significant distance for the funeral, etc. It is not a Church requirement.
 
JanetF said:
Yes, although not a catholic “thing”, most funeral homes require underwear (bras and panties) and a full outfit including shoes. I know this having just gone through picking out an outfit for my mom
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same here, the funeral home told us what to bring. My sister and I actually went shopping and bought a new sweater for my mother. Everything else she had clashed with the fabric in the coffin!
 
Like others have said, it’s not a Catholic rule but funeral homes do ask you to provide undergarments. We had to do this for my mother.
 
I have asked to be buried in my best suit that I wore to the office before I retired, with white shirt and tie. I prefer the dignity that I tried to embrace in life, and in the face of all this “office casual” business that has made fine dress almost unknown in many circles. I couldn’t care less about the condition of the shoes, and give my glasses to the Lions Club.

Never gave the underwear thing much thought.
 
I told my wife to bury me in my regalia (tux, cape, baldric and chapeau)…my son can keep my sword.
 
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