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You are here: Home / Language / Where Does the Word Funeral Come From, What Does it Mean, and Why do Funeral Processions Move So Slowly?

Where Does the Word Funeral Come From, What Does it Mean, and Why do Funeral Processions Move So Slowly?

April 4, 2020 by Karen Hill

The Romans introduced the lighting of candles and torches at funeral services to ward off evil spirits and guide the deceased to paradise.

The word funeral itself is derived from the Latin word for torch.

By the fifteenth century, people were placing huge candelabras on the coffin even as it was carried to the burial ground.

The funeral procession moved at a very slow pace so that the candles wouldn’t blow out.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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