The Funeral Procession

The funeral procession, or cortege, is a time honored funeral custom. The roots of this ritual can be traced back as far as the ancient Greeks, Egyptians and the Roman Empire. Early funeral processions were limited to the deceased, and their family and they were carried out almost exclusively during the day, however a torchbearer led them. The light from the torch was meant to symbolize glory, and triumph of the new state of existence of the deceased.

In today’s high paced world, the carriage and bearers have been replaced by motorized equipment and the torch has been replaced by headlights and police escorts. Society still recognizes the ritual of a funeral procession, whether it be J.F.K.’s walk down Pennsylvania Avenue with John John’s salute, or to the mound of flowers on Princess’ Diane’s’ hearse, or most recently the cross country procession and laying to rest of a beloved Ronald Reagan. Processions are a part of saying good-bye.

Law also protects today’s funeral processions. The Virginia Drivers Code 46.2-828 states the funeral processions under police escort have the right of way over non-emergency traffic, and list breaking through or joining in a procession as a moving violation.

When participating in a funeral procession, keep in mind a few suggestions:

1. Always use high beam headlights and four way hazard flashers to set you apart from common traffic.
2. Always maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you.
3. Never assume an intersection is clear because you are under police escort. Be especially careful proceeding through an intersection, even when there is an escort.
4. Know what cemetery you are going to and how to get there just in case you get separated.
5. Always know that a funeral director is available prior to and after the service to make sure you are parked in the proper place and direction to join the procession to the cemetery.