Burial shroud
A simple cloth used to wrap the body for burial instead of a casket. Standard in Jewish and Muslim practice and common in green burial.
A shroud wraps the body in natural fabric — often linen, cotton, or wool — for direct, biodegradable burial. It is required or traditional in several faiths and is a natural fit for green burial, where the goal is for everything to decompose. Many natural-burial grounds allow a shroud with no casket at all, sometimes on a rigid board for lowering.
Shrouds cost from very little for a plain cloth to a few hundred dollars for a purpose-made burial shroud with handles. They are among the least expensive ways to bury someone.
- Green burial— Burial without embalming, without a metal or hardwood casket, and without a concrete vault — designed to let the body decompose into the soil naturally.
- Home funeral— The family cares for the body and holds the wake at home rather than handing everything to a funeral home. Legal in most of the US, with a few states requiring a funeral director for specific tasks.
This definition is general consumer information, not legal, medical, or financial advice. Industry practices and regulations change occasionally; verify before relying on anything here for a specific decision.
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