1800s
In the mid 1800s, families of the deceased would take care of the body until they could no longer do so. The family did many tasks such as: dressing the body, preparing, and display. With preparing the families would gather things that seem necessary for a wake; display also plays into the wake (viewing) for purposes.
Video
Here is a video about a wake, but for a pet. (yes, I know it is not a human and is about a cat.) The video tells of what happened to the cat and what you can do for your pet.
American Households
Normally, in early American houses did not have parlors, the houses grew. When using a room for a viewing families made sure the room was filled with many fine possessions such as, furniture, portraits, silver, and often a piano. Parlor homes have been replaced by funeral homes. The formal front room or the parlor has now been turned in a "modern" living room for the family.
The change of caring for the dead
During the Civil War, many soldiers were dying and the bodies were being sent to the families to for burial, but by the time the bodies arrived they been decaying and had to be buried right away. This meant little to no care could be provided. Things changed when embalmers started to embalm the bodies with embalming fluid, by the time the families got the body that has been embalm they were okay to care for and ready for burial.
Now?
Ever since the Civil War, the way of caring for the dead has changed. Now, there are funeral homes everywhere and there are people to care for your loved one. The how funeral industry has changed and now there several different ways to care for the dead. Embalming, cremation, nature burial, liquid cremation are just a few things how funeral directors can care for the body. Embalming is a popular way of taking care of the dead. Many people use this method and also cremation, which is burning the body to an ash and keeping the ashes in a urn.
Biodegradable Urn
The Bios Urn is a fully biodegradable urn designed to convert you into a tree after life. Mainly composed of two parts, the urn contains a seed which will grow to in the name of your loved one. Bios Urn turns death into a transformation and a return to life through nature.
Here is a video talking about the differences between traditional and natural burial
http://thefuneralsource.org/hi0301.html https://urnabios.com/
