Funerals Paying respect to the dead is more important than celebrating a happy occasion with friends or relatives. A Chaldean funeral brings hundreds, or even thousands of relatives and friends together. It is not unusual for the entire Chaldean community of metropolitan Detroit to hear of a death within the Chaldean community within 48 hours. Chaldean individuals take it upon themselves to contact each other about such news. The deceased is then laid out for two or three days at the funeral home to allow friends and relatives to view him or her for the last time.
Individuals have a choice to either pray next to the casket or from a distance.
Family members, mostly women, sit on several couches before or nearby the casket, while the men stand in a line-up against the wall to the side near the casket. It is polite to offer a handshake and to bless the soul of the deceased with everyone in the line-up. Finally, one might choose to sit on a chair with the other people seated facing the casket for about 15 minutes. When leaving, the individual might want to repeat the entire process before walking out. A box for donations to causes in the name of the deceased or simply to make a donation to pay for funeral expenses is placed by the door for those who wish to contribute.