The historic tradition that funeral directors in Wales

FUNERAL directors are asking people to bring back an old tradition to comfort those mourning during the coronavirus pandemic.

Those who see a hearse on the streets are being asked to stop and “stand for a moment” as it passes as a mark of respect.

The request was shared by Merthyr Tydfil funeral director DJ Protheroe and Sons as well as Co-op Funeralcare service manager Anthony Williams.

But the request has also prompted suggestions from others who shared their own traditions to mark a death in the community.

The post, shared on Facebook, reads: “If you see a hearse, could you stop, stand for a moment as it passes, perhaps take off your cap, and bow your head?

“In these times where funerals are limited to only a very few close family our chance to support people during a bereavement is limited. So, we wondered if we could revive an old tradition that would show people that their loss is noticed and shared by us all?

“It would mean the world to families in a time of sadness.”

In response many described stopping for a hearse as a tradition taught to them by parents. Others said they were taught to close the curtains in their home as a mark of respect.

One person, commenting on the company’s post, said: “When the hearse drove on Brecon Road during my husband’s funeral an elderly lady standing on her doorstep made the sign of the cross. Also many curtains in my street were closed. Believe me it made a difference.”

One person said: “It certainly meant a lot to us as a family, last Friday.”

And another commented: “I always do if I am driving I always turn the music off and me and the kids don’t talk until the person who passed away and the family have gone past, something I have always done and I bring my kids up the same way.”

Under current lockdown rules the Church in Wales has cancelled all services including funerals held in churches. Graveyard funerals can be held attended by a maximum of 10 people.

The Welsh Government states those attending funerals are limited to the person who organised the funeral, those invited to attend, and the carers of those attending.

A number of cemeteries across Wales have also shut with the exception of funerals after reports of “large numbers” of people visiting in spite of social distancing guidelines.