Disruption and Continuity in Funerary Ritual During the Covid-19 Crisis in the UK

The Care in Funerals project has explored experiences of disruption and adaptation in funeral practice during the pandemic through 65 interviews with bereaved individuals funeral directors and funeral celebrants and officiants. For many, the completion of rituals related to the dead body, the family and the community was of paramount religious importance. This included leaders of Jewish (e.g. Chevra Khadisha) and Muslim organisations (e.g. cemeteries, burial trusts) whose death rites were profoundly disrupted by pandemic uncertainty and infection control concerns. They sought to establish ways to perform these rituals safely and legally during the crisis, often with significant changes to process and personnel. Changes included: adapted rituals (e.g., dry ablutions); the translation of rituals online or into hybrid formats; establishing specialist sub-teams; training younger and less vulnerable community members to perform rites; and obtaining PPE and providing training in its proper use. Their spokespeople described these rites’ importance richly and were proud of what they had achieved amid the pandemic’s challenges.

These participants and organisations were determined to compromise on neither religious priorities nor pandemic guidance. Their accounts depict multiple intersecting considerations and authorities: tradition; God; the state; safety; the deceased; and their bereaved. They also hinted at a fear of being exceptionalized on account of minority religious identity should they be seen to fall short of Coronavirus Act requirements. This suggests a complex relationship exists between religious and secular institutions with respect to death rites and
rituals, raising important questions about the former’s place in the UK funeral industry.