Pallbearer

A pallbearer is one of several participants who help carry the casket at a funeral. They may wear white gloves in order to prevent damaging the casket and to show respect to the deceased person. Some traditions distinguish between the roles of pallbearers and casket bearer. The former is a ceremonial position, carrying a tip of the pall or a cord attached to it. The latter do the actual heavy lifting and carrying. There may otherwise be pallbearers only in the symbolic sense if the casket is on an animal or vehicle. In Western cultures, the pallbearers are usually male family members, close friends, or colleagues of the deceased. A notable exception was the funeral of Lee Harvey Oswald in which reporters outnumbered mourners and were pressed into service to carry the coffin. In some African cultures, pallbearers are not family members but are staff of professional funeral agencies who are paid for their services. Depending on local tradition, pallbearers carry the coffin either on their shoulders or by using handles at waist level. At times additional pallbearers, known as honorary pallbearers, walk either behind or directly in front of the casket in a showcase of supplemental distinction towards the deceased. This type of pallbearer is most often a gentleman in the profession of the deceased who has achieved significant merit within their position. Pallbearers additionally carry an urn ark, a wooden box with glass that carries an urn with four handles during a memorial service or celebration of life.