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alright, let’s do a #mortuaryreport: did you know there’s a difference between a coffin & a casket? if it’s got six sides & is broad around the shoulders, it’s a coffin. if it’s rectangular & has four sides, it’s a casket. yes, coffins still exist & are in use. now you know! 💫 
(my tattoo is a coffin)
p much everybody and their mother (writers. lookin’ at you.) calls a casket a coffin, but if you’re writing an american death, you probably want a casket. rarely - in six years i saw one ONCE - you’ll have good reason for a coffin, but it’s very unlikely.
“casket” was originally a word for a jewelry box, or a receptacle for trinkets and jewels. they were (and are) often made of expensive materials, and intended to house precious materials. hence, the evolution of the word for what we place decedents in for burial.
nowadays, caskets are more likely to be manufactured by big companies - even costco makes them (the only time i’ve ever had the handle come off in a pallbearer’s hand was a costco casket), so they are typically more affordable. coffins are usually handmade & therefore pricier
if you purchase a casket through the funeral home, they can guarantee on-time delivery & quality. buying from an outside source puts the onus of all that on the family - & like i said, sometimes you end up with the handles falling off in your hands. so, caskets are easier
coffins are also nicknamed “toe pinchers” because of their tapered bottoms, which is one of the more delightful things that’s always tickled me
there are cremation caskets and rental caskets - caskets that have a minimal amount of metal in them, which makes burning easier. rental caskets look like fancy wooden caskets on the outside but have a removable cardboard insert (kinda like a shoebox) that makes burning easier!
