Pallbearer Or Casket Bearer? Why Do Pallbearers Wear Boutonnieres

There has been a recent shift in lingo when it comes to funeral-related terms. This, mainly because of society's desire to distance themselves from terms that are potentially unpleasant. Headstone has become Grave Marker, Funeral has become Celebration of Life, Hearse has become Funeral Coach, etc, etc. So why the shift from Pallbearer to Casket Bearer?

In reality, this term is changing due to a term that is no longer relevant. A pall is a heavy cloth that once draped over a casket and is still in rare use today. The term pall is still used to refer to a covering in the figurative sense, such as "a pall of suspicion" It once was that there were men designated to carry the pall to the place of rest, and these were true pallbearers. The men carrying the casket were known simply as bearers (usually four) and four others acted as relief on "long hauls", they were under bearers. (Habenstein, Robert, and William Lamers. The history of American funeral directing. 1981, 1981. 234. Print.)

Usually the men were prominent in the community or within the family. Today it is not unusual to see females act as bearers especially those closely related to the deceased. The number of bearers can range from four to ten, though space can become quite limited. If more than ten are selected, half may be used from the funeral venue to the hearse, and the remaining from the hearse to the grave site.

FAQ: What is an Honorary Pallbearer?

An honorary bearer is a person that the family wants to make special mention of, but that does not actually carry the casket. Sometimes honorary bearers sit in a designated place for the service or may wear a boutonniere.

Below is an example of a pall, this one from