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What You Should Expect When Picking Dress For Funeral Mass
Catholic rites for the dead are quite formal and filled with ritualistic prayers and recitations. For those who are not part of this religion, there may be some confusion as to how they should behave when attending these services. There are some general guidelines about how one should dress when going to a funeral mass.
Also known as the Requiem, this is the second of the three traditional Catholic services held when a member of the church dies. The primary purpose is to honor the memory of the deceased, to pray for their soul and to give comfort and care to those who are grieving. This event generally lasts about an hour and a half.
Religious based events require that individuals show respect in the way that they dress. Casual daily wear like blue jeans, sweats, shorts, tees and tanks are inappropriate for this type of occasion. The basic rules of etiquette state that clothing for these services should be conservative and such as one would don for a business meeting or church.
Suits with ties, or a nice dress pants and shirt combination in neutral tones are appropriate choices for men. Ladies wearing skirts or dresses should opt for articles which sport hemlines at least long enough to keep the knees covered when sitting or standing. Conservative pantsuits are acceptable but bold patterns, bright colors, deep necklines and bare shoulders are not.
In this particular Catholic service, men should not keep their hats on upon entering the building. Women, on the other hand, are expected to have some type of covering on their heads. Some parishes and churches realize that this may not be common knowledge and will often provide veils or scarves for those ladies who do not have one of their own.
The kissing of statues, icons and hands are common in the rituals of this service. To avoid leaving marks, as well as a form of courtesy and respect, women should avoid lipstick that transfers. Observing the rules of modesty and being conservative are keys to knowing how to dress to attend a Catholic funeral mass.
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