Attending a viewing in Switzerland: should you go, and what will you find?

A viewing is the time between death and the funeral when the person who has died lies in an open or closed coffin and family, friends and acquaintances can visit one last time. In German-speaking Switzerland you will hear it called Aufbahrung, in French-speaking Switzerland présentation or veillée. It usually takes place in a viewing room at a cemetery, a crematorium or a funeral centre, less often at home. If you are invited, the first question is often: should I go?

This page is written for family and guests. It describes what you will find in the room, how long you can stay, what you may bring and what you can do if you would rather not go. What we take on as a funeral director for a viewing, and what it costs, is set out under Viewing and farewell.

To go or not: a personal decision

Nobody has to attend a viewing. There is no duty and no expectation to meet. The guide on death and funerals published by the canton of Basel-Stadt describes the dilemma plainly: being close to the body may be hard to bear, but it can also be healing and help you grasp that the death has really happened.

For some relatives, a calm image at the coffin replaces the last images from the hospital or the scene of an accident. Others prefer to remember the person as they were in life. Both are a farewell. A few questions can help you decide:

• Did I see the person in the last few weeks, or is a goodbye missing?
• Do I want to say something to them, leave something with them or touch them once more?
• Would I regret it later if I did not go?
• Would I rather go alone, with someone I trust, or not at all?

You can also decide on the spot. Many people go as far as the door, sit for a while in the waiting area and only then decide whether to go in.

What you will find in the viewing room

Viewing rooms are simply furnished: a coffin, candles, flowers, a few chairs. Depending on the cemetery, there are two kinds. At the Bern crematorium, for example, the chilled room with the coffin is separated from the visitors' side by a glass pane; you can still reach the coffin if a member of staff accompanies you. At the Hörnli cemetery in Basel there are traditional rooms with glass and an open viewing room where you can go right up to the person.

The coffin may be open or closed; the family decides, as the City of Geneva also points out. If the person lies in an open coffin, they have been washed, dressed and laid out. How this is done is explained under Washing and dressing the deceased.

• Appearance: the face usually looks peaceful, but paler and a little more distant than in life. The lips are closed, the hands often folded
• Coolness: the room or the coffin is chilled. Skin and hands feel cold and firm; this is normal and does not mean anything is wrong
• Silence: there is no programme and no speech. You may be silent, pray, cry, talk or simply sit
• Touch: at an open coffin you may hold the hand or stroke the hair, if you wish

After an accident or a serious illness, the funeral director sometimes advises keeping the coffin closed or opening it only for close family. Ask the family, or us, beforehand what you will see. A short, honest description takes away a great deal of uncertainty.

You may also come across customs you do not know: a vigil, shared prayers, psalms, a rosary, a recitation or songs in another language. You do not have to join in. Stay respectfully in the background or quietly ask a family member how best to behave.

How long a viewing lasts and how long you can stay

There is no Switzerland-wide rule on how long a viewing lasts. It depends on the date of the funeral and on the rooms the municipality (Gemeinde in German, commune in French) provides. Some examples from official sources:

• City of Geneva: the free funeral for residents includes three days in a viewing room. The Saint-Georges funeral centre is open from 8.30 am to 6 pm on weekdays and from 9 am to 5 pm at weekends and on public holidays
• Bern crematorium: a viewing usually lasts three days and can be extended. You can visit daily from 7.30 am to 8 pm and leave at any time
• Basel-Stadt: the simple rooms at the Hörnli have fixed opening hours; for rooms with a fee, relatives receive a key and can also come in at weekends. The person stays in the room until half an hour before the funeral service
• Canton of Zurich: municipalities ensure a dignified viewing and set their own rules for access to the viewing rooms

How long you stay is up to you. Some people come for five minutes, others sit for an hour or return every day. If the body changes visibly during the viewing, those in charge can end it; the Basel guide says so explicitly. If you very much want to say goodbye at an open coffin, it is better to go early.

What to bring and whom to bring

A viewing is not an occasion with a dress code or gifts. Come as you are. Small gestures are welcome, though, and many families appreciate them:

• a few flowers or a small bunch; the Basel rooms have a shelf for them
• a letter, a photo or a drawing that you may place in the coffin if the family agrees
• a candle, where the room allows it
• a prayer, a text or a song that you read silently or say quietly

With a cremation, the rules on what may go into the coffin are stricter than with a burial. So ask the family or the funeral director briefly before you put anything in. Flowers are almost always fine. Which flowers suit which occasion is explained under Funeral flowers.

As a guest, it is best to ask the family first whether visitors are welcome. Some viewings are meant for the closest circle only, others are open to anyone who knew the person. If you meet relatives in the room, a handshake and a short sentence are enough; what you can say is covered under Offering condolences.

Children may come if they want to. What matters is preparing them beforehand in simple words: the person is lying in a wooden box, they no longer breathe, they are cold, they are not in pain. Let the child decide how close to go, and choose one adult who is there only for the child and can leave with them at any moment.

How to support children of different ages, at the funeral service and at the grave too, is explained under Children at a funeral.

A viewing at home

In many municipalities the person may also lie at home. The rules are set not by the federal government but by the canton and above all by the municipality. Basel-Stadt allows a viewing at home for two days; other cantons, such as Zurich and Bern, set no fixed period.

For guests, a viewing at home mainly means: call ahead and ask when a visit suits. During these days the family is living with the person who has died and also needs time to themselves. What conditions apply and how we support a viewing at home is described under Viewing and farewell.

Saying goodbye without going

If you cannot or do not want to attend the viewing, there are other ways. None of them is a second-class farewell:

• write a letter and give it to the family so it can be placed in the coffin
• come to the funeral service (Abdankung in German-speaking Switzerland), where everyone says goodbye together; more under The Swiss funeral service
• visit the grave later, or light a candle at a place that mattered to both of you
• write to the family about what the person meant to you

If you are family and decide not to go, tell the others openly. It often helps if someone you trust goes and tells you afterwards what it was like.

If you are organising the viewing yourself

If you are the one arranging the viewing for the family, you decide on the place, the length, an open or closed coffin and who is invited. We talk this through with you calmly, check with the municipality what is possible and prepare the room. Everything else is under Viewing and farewell.