What is a shroud?

A shroud, burial shroud, farewell shroud or funeral shroud is a rectangular cloth of soft fabric in which a deceased person can be wrapped during a funeral or farewell ceremony. However, this does not say everything about the shroud. On this page we will give an extensive answer to this question.

Why a burial with a shroud?

The beauty of a shroud is that the deceased is a little closer during the farewell than if they were lying in a coffin. The soft fabric of the shroud also invites you to touch the body one last time. Of course, this is not necessary for everyone; some people find it strange to be aware of the body of the deceased during a farewell. The nice thing about a shroud is that it does cover the entire body and neatly hides the shapes. In this way, the shroud offers a perfect middle ground between distance and proximity.

Wrap it yourself

Wrapping a shroud is an easy act to perform. For relatives, wrapping a loved one themselves can be an intimate, comforting experience. Together with other relatives, you prepare yourself and the deceased for the final farewell. During this act, personal mementos or flowers can also be placed in the shroud, giving this final wrapping its own meaning.

Natural materials

Our shrouds are made of natural, sustainable or organic materials. We believe it is important that a funeral can be organised with respect for nature. All our products are therefore naturally biodegradable and can be used in a natural burial ground. Natural burial grounds are a special initiative in which natural areas are made available as a burial ground. For people who prefer the great outdoors, in contrast to the ordered rows of gravestones in a regular cemetery, this offers a nice alternative.

How is a funeral shroud folded?

If you want, you can fold a shroud yourself. There are two ways in which the shroud can be folded, namely for a closed or an open wake. In an open wake, the shroud is left open at the head and draped in folds. In a closed wake, the head is also covered by the shroud. In the image below you can see how a shroud can be folded.

Display shelf

During a funeral with a farewell shroud, the body lies on a stretcher. Such a bier, or bier plank, has a nearly flat base with often a (slightly) raised edge. Because there is no closing top, a bier has a much more open character during laying out than a closed coffin. There are different types of biers available, for example, one can choose from woven willow branches or plain poplar wood. You can take a look at our range here: bier planks .