# Spain Funerals?



## Yorick (Jul 4, 2017)

My pal's wife is very poorly and got* few days to live. Lots of family from UK are over to spend time with her

How many folk can attend the funeral ?*

My main question is about the wake. We have a lovely big place here and would love to offer it for the family after the funeral, but not sure of the rules. Google didn't help.

Will I be in trouble if I have all the family and friends here ?*


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

In my experience the Spanish don't do wakes. Certainly not the boozy ones. If someone dies, the body is usually taken to a tanatorio straight away, where it is left for 24 hours. During this period anyone connected with the deceased can come and pay their respects. After this there is a funeral service and then the body is taken to a crematorium, where it will be cremated and buried, And that's usually it. Everybody goes home, especially the close family as they are usually exhausted by this time. 

Any subsequent memorial services are usually held maybe a year later, but not in the days following the funeral. So everything is over very quickly compared to the UK at least. Of course that doesn't stop you inviting people over afterwards but unless they happen to be there at the time of death they will miss the funeral. Having a social gathering soon after the funeral might well be frowned upon by some Spanish as they view it as a period of mourning.


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## Catalunya22 (Apr 25, 2020)

Do they do post mortems in Spain?


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## snikpoh (Nov 19, 2007)

Catalunya22 said:


> Do they do post mortems in Spain?


Yes, if required.

Friend died recently and NOONE was allowed to attend - not even his wife


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Yorick said:


> My pal's wife is very poorly and got* few days to live. Lots of family from UK are over to spend time with her
> 
> How many folk can attend the funeral ?*
> 
> ...


Depending on where you are, you can only have a max of 10 people at a private gathering at a time. Andalucia just reduced that to 6. I'm not sure if other comunidades have also done so, but 10 is the maximum.

As for the number allowed actually at the service, the tanatorio would advise, since it varies locally.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Chopera said:


> In my experience the Spanish don't do wakes. Certainly not the boozy ones. If someone dies, the body is usually taken to a tanatorio straight away, where it is left for 24 hours. During this period anyone connected with the deceased can come and pay their respects. After this there is a funeral service and then the body is taken to a crematorium, where it will be cremated and buried, And that's usually it. Everybody goes home, especially the close family as they are usually exhausted by this time.
> 
> Any subsequent memorial services are usually held maybe a year later, but not in the days following the funeral. So everything is over very quickly compared to the UK at least. Of course that doesn't stop you inviting people over afterwards but unless they happen to be there at the time of death they will miss the funeral. Having a social gathering soon after the funeral might well be frowned upon by some Spanish as they view it as a period of mourning.


 I think the OP is referring to Covid restrictions...
It will depend on the area, but atm with gatherings of 10 people and 6 in some places being the maximum, I doubt that a wake would be in order. There are even more restrictive rules in place for events like funerals. In fact a large number of infections in the past came from funerals and weddings...
A funeral parlour would be able to tell you no doubt, or the crematorium. I'm sure any Spanish speaking neighbour would phone for you.
PS If there are a large number of visitors over, they may well be "breaking rules" already.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Catalunya22 said:


> Do they do post mortems in Spain?


Of course.


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## Catalunya22 (Apr 25, 2020)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Of course.


I just wondered because evrything seems to be done and dusted within 2 days here. In the UK it can take 3 or 4 weeks to get a funeral slot.


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## Lynn R (Feb 21, 2014)

Catalunya22 said:


> I just wondered because evrything seems to be done and dusted within 2 days here. In the UK it can take 3 or 4 weeks to get a funeral slot.


My aunt died in the UK on 25 January. The earliest date we could have the funeral was 20 February - but it wasn't because there needed to be a post mortem, one wasn't carried out. 

An old neighbour of mine here in Spain committed suicide - she was over 80 and was found hanged by her daughter one Saturday evening. Her funeral took place at 5pm the following day. I was surprised by that because I thought there would have to be some kind of investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Catalunya22 said:


> I just wondered because evrything seems to be done and dusted within 2 days here. In the UK it can take 3 or 4 weeks to get a funeral slot.


It's true that here burial is quick and in the UK it isn't, but I don't think post mortums are the reason behind it. I don't know anyone here who has had a post mortum, but I presume if it was necessary the cremation would be put off.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Main reasons why funerals take so long to arrange in UK are to do with getting a slot at crematorium or burial ground. Current pandemic has certainly put pressure on crematoria and burial grounds but the problem existed long before that. Reasons are many, such as unavailability of cremators because of malfunction, or upgrade/replacement to comply with new environmental standards and staff shortage. When cremators need to be replaced - a major undertaking lasting many months, crematorium operators - local authority or private business - often take the opportunity to upgrade the overall facilities with a new/revamped chapel, better access, parking, new toilets etc. The paperwork required for funerals doesn't usually take long - perhaps a few days to register the death, esp if a weekend intervenes, and a week or two if the coroner is involved - longer if an inquest has to be held. 
From what I know, funerals in Spain usually take place within 24 to 48 hours of death, unless it becomes a judicial death when a doctor cannot determine the cause of death, then a local court takes over the responsibility over the body, and when its investigation is complete (including a post-mortem), releases the body to a contracted funeral firm, though you can use your own firm for the funeral. If you want to delay the funeral, perhaps to allow relatives to fly in, you'll have to pay for it.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

The burial or cremation usually takes place one or two days after death (traditionally because of the heat), with friends and family paying their respects. If there is a post mortem or some other reason for delaying it, such as waiting for family to arrive, this can be arranged.

If it's a burial there is a church service a two or three weeks later with a wider attendance, more like the traditional British funeral with eulogies and so forth. 

If it's a cremation you can rent a room at the tanatorio and can do what you like, since it's completely secular. Sadly I've lost two British friends since I've been here, both cremated. At one of them we played a Captain Beefheart track. We had a rather boozy meal in a restaurant afterwards and nobody seemed to mind - they know the British do things differently.


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## baldilocks (Mar 7, 2010)

The rule in Spain, as I understand it, there has to be an interval of at least 24 hours between death and disposal.


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

We went to a friend’s cremation in Spain. A grim place conveniently placed close to the rubbish tip at the back of Marbella. His wife delayed the funeral so that family etc. Could arrange the journey from the UK. Storing the body was very costly. She hired a Vicar who came from Gibraltar (smelling strongly of booze). We actually saw the coffin go in the flames on a type of digger.

Funerals in the UK are getting OTTP. Booklets of the dead persons life, putting young children under pressure to make eulogies when they are upset. expensive buffets in hotels. I wouldn’t like anything, just for them to fetch me from where I die and dispose.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

baldilocks said:


> The rule in Spain, as I understand it, there has to be an interval of at least 24 hours between death and disposal.


That I don't know, but the body has to be disposed of within 48 hours, unless there is something unusual like a post mortem, police investigation, delay because of mourners from afar etc


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> If it's a cremation you can rent a room at the tanatorio and can do what you like, since it's completely secular. Sadly I've lost two British friends since I've been here, both cremated. At one of them we played a Captain Beefheart track. We had a rather boozy meal in a restaurant afterwards and nobody seemed to mind - they know the British do things differently.


Can't imagine why/ how people would even know you were having a meal after a funeral.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> That I don't know, but the body has to be disposed of within 48 hours, unless there is something unusual like a post mortem, police investigation, delay because of mourners from afar etc


I don't think there is law that demands disposal within 48 hours, but as it costs tanatorio money to keep the body, any delay has to be paid for by the deceased's family.


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## Alcalaina (Aug 6, 2010)

Pesky Wesky said:


> Can't imagine why/ how people would even know you were having a meal after a funeral.


Because they all knew him - and us. 

We live in a small pueblo don't forget, not a big city!


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## Isobella (Oct 16, 2014)

Joppa said:


> I don't think there is law that demands disposal within 48 hours, but as it costs tanatorio money to keep the body, any delay has to be paid for by the deceased's family.


Yes that's why it was very costly for my friend when she cremated her husband, he was on ice for about a week. She also had a problem that when the bill came she found out the bank had cancelled the joint account due to his death and she was without money for some days before it was straightened out.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Alcalaina said:


> Because they all knew him - and us.
> 
> We live in a small pueblo don't forget, not a big city!


 I meant in general, not in a pueblo setting


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Joppa said:


> I don't think there is law that demands disposal within 48 hours, but as it costs tanatorio money to keep the body, any delay has to be paid for by the deceased's family.


It's in the BOE


> *Artículo 15.*
> 
> Los cadáveres permanecerán en el domicilio mortuorio hasta después de la confirmación de la defunción por el médico adscrito al Registro Civil. Esta permanencia no podrá ser inferior, con carácter general, a las veinticuatro horas, ni exceder de cuarenta y ocho horas desde la del fallecimiento.


If you want to extend that period you have to make a petition to whatever authority
https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1974-1358


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

> ]*Baldilocks* The rule in Spain, as I understand it, there has to be an interval of at least 24 hours between death and disposal.


Yes, you're right. See post above


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> If you want to extend that period you have to make a petition to whatever authority
> https://www.boe.es/buscar/doc.php?id=BOE-A-1974-1358


This will usually be readily given, so if you want to delay the funeral (and disposal of the body) until relatives have flown in, just tell the tanatorio and they will seek permission from competent authority.


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## Pesky Wesky (May 10, 2009)

Joppa said:


> This will usually be readily given, so if you want to delay the funeral (and disposal of the body) until relatives have flown in, just tell the tanatorio and they will seek permission from competent authority.


And pay whatever the morgue or funeral parlour want you to pay


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## xabiaxica (Jun 23, 2009)

Pesky Wesky said:


> And pay whatever the morgue or funeral parlour want you to pay


Yes. When my dad died here in Spain we had to pay refrigeration costs to delay the funeral until my brother could get here from Australia. 

I can't remember how much - & it was 9 years ago anyway - but I do remember being shocked at how much it was at the time. 

Then my brother changed his mind so we delayed for nothing.


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## Chopera (Apr 22, 2013)

Pesky Wesky said:


> I think the OP is referring to Covid restrictions...
> It will depend on the area, but atm with gatherings of 10 people and 6 in some places being the maximum, I doubt that a wake would be in order. There are even more restrictive rules in place for events like funerals. In fact a large number of infections in the past came from funerals and weddings...
> A funeral parlour would be able to tell you no doubt, or the crematorium. I'm sure any Spanish speaking neighbour would phone for you.
> PS If there are a large number of visitors over, they may well be "breaking rules" already.


Yeah I imagined so, but I thought it worth pointing out that even without covid-19 the logistics of getting people from the UK to somewhere in Spain within 24 hours of the death being announced makes this very difficult to organise. And the fact that it's about the only type of event where the Spanish _don't_ organise some kind of social gathering only makes the situation more complicated.


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## Joppa (Sep 7, 2009)

xabiaxica said:


> Yes. When my dad died here in Spain we had to pay refrigeration costs to delay the funeral until my brother could get here from Australia.
> 
> I can't remember how much - & it was 9 years ago anyway - but I do remember being shocked at how much it was at the time.
> 
> Then my brother changed his mind so we delayed for nothing.


I think today we are talking about several hundred euros per day.


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