Icelandic funeral

Icelandic funerals are ceremonies that are largely shaped by the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Iceland, the largest Christian organisation in Iceland. However, customs may vary depending on religious group. Traditions such as death announcements in national Icelandic newspapers and wakes are common in Iceland. The ritual of embalming is not performed, and the burial process is usually completed within 8 days. The funeral is held in a church and performed by a priest. After the ceremony the coffin is either taken to the cemetery to be buried or the crematorium to be cremated. Pagan funeral practises reflect the deep respect for nature. They are usually held outdoors with the ceremony performed by a Gothi. Some cemeteries in Iceland are Fossvogur, Gufunes, Kópavogur, Viðey Island, Hólavallagarður, Sólland.

Iceland converted to Christianity in 1000AD and Iceland's burial culture has been consistent with Europe. Christianity today remains the predominant religion. Statistics from 2017 report that 12.2% of the population are immigrants, with the largest immigrant groups being from Poland, Lithuania and the Philippines. Religions that have seen a growth in Iceland include Islam, Buddhism and heathenism. The undertaking profession in Iceland is almost exclusively in the hands of men. The ritual of embalming is not performed in Iceland and interment is usually performed within 8 days. Obituaries in Iceland are similar to death notices in European and American newspapers in that they can be about anyone and are written by acquaintances or family of the deceased.

The practice of post mortem photography began in Iceland before the end of the 19th century. From 1900 to 1940 there was a great increase in post mortem photography and funeral procession photography. However, cremations have been gaining popularity and in 2018 41.66% of deaths in Iceland were cremations. There is 1 crematory based in the capital city Reykjavík. The cremation process is similar to a regular funeral except after the ceremony mourners do not go to the cemetery. The coffin is taken to the Bálstofan crematorium in Fossvogur. The ashes cannot be kept by the recipients and the urn is to be returned to the crematorium immediately after the scattering of the ashes. The largest pagan gravesite during this time had 10 13 graves, compared to other European Iron Age societies this is minuscule. The small size of these grave sites indicates that they were not shared by households during the 10th century and that each farm would have had their own household grave site.

The Icelandic Ásatrú Society, Ásatrúarfélagið, or Ásatrú is an Icelandic religious organisation based upon pagan traditions of the earliest Norse settlers of Iceland. Ásatrú funerals are usually held outdoors and the outdoor setting is chosen to reflect and represent the pagan deep respect for nature. The mythical undead creatures of the Sagas of Icelanders were called Afturganga.

Fossvogur cemetery was consecrated in 1932 and a funeral church at the cemetery was constructed and open to the public in 1948. This church only serves as a church for funerals. The funeral church was constructed to improve sanitation of funeral practises and decrease funeral costs. The graveyard guardian is Friðfinnur Olafsson, who was buried on 16 June 1980. The guardian of the graveyard is Guðmundur Helgason, a painter. Several people of national importance are buried here including Ólafur Stephensen, who was the representative of the Danish king and his son, a public official, Magnús Stephensen. The guardian of the graveyard is Guðrún Oddsdóttir, the wife of the magistrate Þórður Jónassen. A garden of urn plots where there is space for 17,000 urn graves. The guardian of the graveyard and first person buried here is the urn of Ásbjörn Björnsson, former director of KGRP cemeteries.

Bodies must be buried or burned in an authorised cemetery or crematorium and must not be buried or cremated until there is confirmation of death by the district commissioner. A certificate is required for cremation from the district commissioner and chief of police. Any funeral services provided must have the permission of the district commissioner. A dead infant or stillborn body cannot be put into the coffin with another body unless the priest or head of congregation has been notified. The specific measurements for grave sizes in cemeteries are 2.50m x 1.20m and 0.75m x 0.75m for urns. Graves must be deep enough to allow a full meter from the surface of the coffin to the surface of the grave. All graves have a protection time frame of 75 years.