Within the United States and Canada, in most cultural groups and regions, the funeral rituals can be divided into three parts: visitation, funeral, and the burial service.
在美國和加拿大，在大多數文化群體和地區，葬禮儀式可分為三個部分：探視（守靈），葬禮和埋葬服務。
At the visitation (also called a "viewing" or "wake") the embalmed body of the deceased person (or decedent) is placed on display in the coffin (also called a casket). At the viewing, the friends and relations greet the more distant relatives and friends of the deceased in a social gathering with little in the way of ritual.
在守靈期間，逝者的遺體被放置在棺木中。在探視時，直系親屬向來到的其他親友問候，這一過程沒有過多的固定儀式。

visitation 探視；（喪禮前的）守夜
viewing 探視；（喪禮前的）守夜
wake 守靈；（喪禮前的）守夜
coffin 棺材，棺木
casket 棺材，棺木

The viewing often takes place on one or two evenings before the funeral.
守靈通常在葬禮前的一兩個晚上進行。
The decedent's closest friends and relatives who are unable to attend frequently send flowers to the viewing, with the exception of a Jewish Funeral, where flowers would not be appropriate.
無法參加守靈的親友通常會送鮮花以表哀思，除了猶太人的葬禮上。
A memorial service, often called a funeral and often officiated by clergy from the decedent's or bereaved's church or religion.
追悼會，通常被稱為葬禮，經常由死者的教會或宗教中的神職人員主持。
Funeral services include prayers; readings from the Bible or other sacred texts; hymns (sung either by the attendees or a hired vocalist); and words of comfort by the clergy. Frequently, a relative or close friend will be asked to give a eulogy, which details happy memories and accomplishments.
葬禮服務包括祈禱;圣經或其他神圣文本的讀物;贊美詩（由與會者或聘請的歌手演唱）;和神職人員的悼詞。通常，會邀請一位親戚或親密的朋友發表悼詞，敘述逝者美好的回憶和成就。
A burial service, conducted at the side of the grave, tomb, mausoleum or crematorium, at which the body of the decedent is buried or cremated at the conclusion.
在墓地的下葬儀式時，逝者的遺體被埋葬。