Serbian Orthodox Open Casket and Last Kiss Ritual

The open casket is central to a Serbian Orthodox funeral. It's not an optional visitation preference — it's woven into the liturgical structure of the Opelo itself, culminating in the Last Kiss (Poslednji celiv), where mourners physically say goodbye. If you've never attended an Orthodox funeral, the rituals around the open casket can feel unfamiliar and intensely emotional.

How the Deceased Is Presented

The body is dressed in dark, formal clothing and positioned in the casket with specific care:

Hands crossed over the chest, right hand over left. A small cross or icon is placed in the hands — typically a metal crucifix, a wooden hand cross, or a small icon of Christ or the Theotokos. The family or priest places this; the funeral home should leave the hands accessible.

The paper crown (venac or stefanos) is placed on the deceased's forehead. This strip of paper carries printed images of Christ, the Theotokos (Mother of God), and St John the Baptist. It represents the baptismal crown and symbolises the deceased's spiritual victory over physical death. The crown is placed by the priest or a close family member, usually just before the service begins.

The Prayer of Absolution — a written prayer asking God to forgive the deceased's sins — is folded and placed in the deceased's hand alongside the cross. The priest reads this prayer aloud during the Opelo and then tucks the written copy into the hand before the casket is closed. This is the priest's responsibility, not the family's.

The Candle Tradition

At the start of the Opelo, slender beeswax candles are distributed to every person present. These remain lit throughout the entire service. The candle represents Christ as the light of the world, and holding it is an act of prayerful participation — not decoration.

Practical tips for candle etiquette:

• Hold the candle upright and steady. Tilting it drips wax on you and the person beside you.
• If no standard candle holders are available, some families fill a decorative urn or bucket with clean wheat grains. Mourners can stand their candles upright in the wheat when they need both hands free (for the Last Kiss, for example).
• Don't blow out your candle partway through the service. Keep it lit until the conclusion of the Opelo.
• After the service, candles are typically extinguished and left at the church or collected by the family. Don't take a lit candle to the cemetery procession unless local custom dictates otherwise.

The Last Kiss (Poslednji Celiv)

Near the end of the Opelo, after the priest has read the prayers and the choir has finished the final hymns, the priest invites mourners to approach the open casket for the Poslednji celiv — the Last Kiss.

This is the most emotionally intense moment of the funeral. Mourners form a line and approach the casket one at a time. Each person:

1. Bows quietly before the casket
2. Kisses the cross or icon held in the deceased's hands, or the paper crown on the forehead
3. Steps aside for the next mourner

You don't kiss the deceased's face or skin — the kiss is directed at the sacred objects (cross, icon, or crown). Some mourners simply bow deeply rather than kissing, and this is equally acceptable.

If you're a non-Orthodox guest and the Last Kiss feels uncomfortable, you can bow respectfully at the casket without kissing anything. No one will judge you for this.

Immediate family members typically go first, followed by close friends, then the broader congregation. The priest or a family member may gently guide the order.

After the Last Kiss

Once every mourner who wishes to has approached the casket, the priest signals for the casket to be closed. This is permanent — the casket does not reopen at the cemetery.

The closed casket is then prepared for the procession. A large wooden cross, wrapped with a white towel (peškir), is carried at the front of the procession by a layperson — usually a male family member or close friend. The casket follows, then the immediate family, then the congregation.

At the graveside, the casket is lowered after the priest completes the anointing (Prelivanje) and final prayers. The physical farewell at the church was the Last Kiss; the graveside is about releasing the body to the earth.

What First-Time Attendees Should Know

If you're attending a Serbian Orthodox funeral for the first time, the open casket and Last Kiss sequence can be surprising. A few points to ease the anxiety:

• You will stand for the entire service. Sitting is reserved for those who physically cannot stand.
• The service is entirely a cappella. No organ, no instrumental music — just the priest's chanting and the choir's responses.
• You don't need to cross yourself if you're not Orthodox. Stand quietly and respectfully.
• The Last Kiss is not mandatory for non-family members. Bowing at the casket is sufficient.
• Keep your phone silent and away. Photography during the service is prohibited unless the priest has given explicit permission.

The Serbian Orthodox Funeral Navigator walks through every element of the Opelo — from the opening Trisagion to the Last Kiss to the graveside Prelivanje — with clear explanations of what's happening and what's expected of you at each stage.