Serbian Orthodox Funeral Director Instructions

Most funeral directors in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia have handled Catholic and Protestant services hundreds of times. Serbian Orthodox funerals, however, operate under different rules — and if your funeral director hasn't worked with an Orthodox family before, the assumptions they bring from Western Christian services can lead to mistakes that are difficult to fix once the service begins.

Here's what to communicate clearly, ideally in writing, before arrangements are finalised.

Body Preparation

Minimal intervention preferred. The Serbian Orthodox Church prefers the body undergo as little chemical treatment as possible. Ask the funeral director and priest whether refrigeration is sufficient for the actual timeline, and whether applicable law, public viewing, or international transport requires embalming. Embalming is not the default.

Dressing the deceased. The body should be dressed in dark, formal clothing — typically a suit for men, a modest dark dress with sleeves and a hemline below the knee for women. The funeral home staff should dress the body and position it as follows:

• Hands crossed over the chest, right hand over left
• A small metal or wooden cross, or a sacred icon, will be placed in the hands — leave room for this
• A paper crown (venac) will be placed on the forehead by the priest or family — do not affix anything to the forehead yourself

Do not close the casket until the priest has completed the Opelo service and the mourners have performed the Last Kiss. The family or priest will signal when the casket should be closed.

Chapel Setup

If the Opelo is being held at the funeral home rather than at a church, the chapel needs to be arranged for an Orthodox service:

Standing room. Orthodox mourners stand for the entire service. Chairs or pews can remain but should be pushed to the sides — they're used only by elderly or physically infirm attendees, not the congregation as a whole.

Space at the head of the casket. The priest needs room to move around the casket, particularly at the head where he leads prayers and performs the incensing with a censer. Keep flower arrangements from crowding this area.

Candle holders or wheat containers. Mourners hold lit beeswax candles throughout the service. The church usually provides these, but the funeral home should have fire-safe surfaces available. Some families bring a bucket or urn filled with clean wheat grains and stand candles upright in the grain — confirm with the family whether this will be used and ensure it's allowed by the chapel's fire code.

No instrumental music. Do not set up a sound system, organ accompaniment, or background music. Orthodox services are entirely a cappella — the priest and choir chant without instruments. Piped-in music during the viewing or before the service is also best avoided unless the family specifically requests it.

Icon or photograph placement. The family may bring an icon of Christ, the Theotokos, or the patron saint to place near the casket. A framed photograph of the deceased is also common. Ask the family ahead of time what they're bringing so you can have a table or easel ready.

Scheduling Considerations

Restricted days. Serbian Orthodox funerals may be restricted around Sundays, Pascha, Holy Week, and major feast days. The priest determines the schedule, so coordinate directly with the priest's office rather than picking a date unilaterally.

Service duration. The Opelo lasts 45 to 60 minutes — longer than a typical Western funeral service. Book the chapel accordingly, with buffer time before (for the family's arrival and visitation) and after (for the procession to depart).

Procession to the cemetery. After the casket is closed, a solemn procession leaves the chapel. A family member or close friend leads the procession carrying a large wooden cross wrapped with a white towel. Behind them comes the casket, then the family, then other mourners. The funeral home should coordinate vehicle staging to accommodate this procession order.

At the Cemetery

East-facing burial. Traditional guidance describes the deceased as facing east — feet pointing east, head to the west. Confirm with the priest and cemetery whether and how the plot orientation can accommodate this.

Graveside rites. The priest performs final prayers and the anointing ceremony (Prelivanje) — pouring a mixture of red wine, olive oil, and water over the casket lid in the shape of a cross. The funeral home staff should not lower the casket until the priest signals that the graveside rites are complete.

Soil participation. After the priest throws the first handful of soil onto the casket, mourners follow one by one, each throwing a handful of soil or a single flower into the grave. Leave the soil pile accessible and provide a small shovel or scoop nearby.

Put It in Writing

Verbal instructions get forgotten or miscommunicated between shifts. The most reliable approach is a single-page instruction sheet that covers body preparation, chapel setup, scheduling constraints, and cemetery requirements — printed and handed to the funeral director at the first arrangement meeting.

The Serbian Orthodox Funeral Navigator includes a ready-made Funeral Home Instruction Sheet designed for exactly this purpose. Print it, hand it over, and both you and the funeral director have a shared reference for every step.