Lying in State

Lying in state is the tradition in which a coffin is placed on view to allow the public at large to pay their respects to the deceased. It traditionally takes place in the principal government building of a country or city. While the practice differs among countries, a viewing in a location that is not the principal government building is referred to as lying in repose.

Read more about Lying In State:  Canada, North Korea, Russia, United Kingdom, United States, Vatican City

Famous quotes containing the words lying in, lying and/or state:

    Meanwhile the angel,
    dressed for laughs as a plasterer,
    puts a match to whatever’s
    lying in the grate: broken scaffolds,
    empty cocoons, the paraphernalia
    of unseen change.
    Denise Levertov (b. 1923)

    the grave,
    so humble, so willing to be beat upon
    with its awful lettering and
    the body lying underneath
    without an umbrella.
    Anne Sexton (1928–1974)

    Navajo men and boys have an odd way of showing their friendship. When two young men meet at the trading post, a “Sing”, or a dance they greet each other, inquire about the health of their respective families, then stand silently some ten or fifteen minutes while one feels the other’s arms, shoulders, and chest.
    —Administration in the State of Ariz, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)