What objects should not be placed in a coffin according to religious beliefs and spiritual traditions.

Peace to you. There are topics that many avoid out of fear, superstition or pain. But when it comes to saying goodbye to a loved one, knowing what to do—and what not to do—can prevent mistakes that later leave guilt, confusion, and anguish.

For years, many priests have seen the same scene repeated: relatives who, with genuine love, place objects inside the coffin believing that they “help” the deceased. However, in the Christian tradition, the farewell is not based on assuring the person of “things”, but on helping the soul to detach itself from the material and be accompanied by prayer.

Because the problem is not the object itself… but the message that object conveys:
“These things still belong to you. You still need this. Don’t leave completely.”

And that message, even if it is born of affection, can become a bondage.

A story that changed everything

A woman arrived at the temple crying, some time after she had buried her mother. She said that her mother appeared to her in her dreams restlessly, pointing to her neck and chest, as if something weighed her down or suffocated her. The daughter didn’t understand what it meant… until he remembered what he had done on the day of the funeral.

Out of love, he placed a large gold necklace on his mother that she adored. And also, a wad of money, thinking: “so that he doesn’t lack anything there… in case he has to pay something.”

The intention was “good”. But the gesture revealed a dangerous belief: that salvation works like the world here, with payments, objects and guarantees.

There’s the point:
when we fire someone, we don’t help them “take things”… we help him release them.

What NOT to put in the casket (and why)

1) Money (coins, banknotes, large sums)

It is one of the most widespread superstitions. In some ancient cultures it was believed that the dead had to “pay” for a passage or a journey.
But the Christian faith does not teach that: no one buys the rest of the soul, and even less “with cash”.

In addition, money symbolizes attachment to the earthly. Placing it is like saying to the soul:
“Remember the material”, when it precisely needs to be free from that.

2) Jewelry, rings, chains, and valuables

Many want the loved one to “look good” or leave with what they loved. But for the soul gold is useless, and for the living it can be transformed into a false idea: that the value of the farewell is in the objects.

There is an even more delicate point: if the person had a strong attachment to his belongings, reminding him at the last moment can become a last emotional chain.

3) Personal objects that represent attachments

Keys, glasses, diaries, letters, saved photos, watches, cell phones… even today some place phones or tablets.

Every object says something. For example:

• Keys: “It’s still your home”
• Agenda: “You still have unfinished business”
• Cell phone: “you are still connected to what is here”

The Christian farewell seeks the opposite: to give, to let go, to trust.

4) Food and drink (bread, sweets, alcohol)

It is another gesture born of ancient beliefs: that “over there” one is hungry or thirsty as here.
But the soul does not feed on food. It is sustained, in faith, by prayer, by God’s mercy and love expressed in good works.

The most serious thing is when alcohol is placed on someone who struggled with that addiction. It’s like leaving you a reminder of your wound at a time when you most need deliverance.

5) Photos of living people

This is very important. Photos of children, grandchildren, partner or living relatives should not be posted.

Beyond what is said in the popular, the main problem is spiritual: the photo is used as an “emotional amulet”, as a “magical” gesture to provoke something (“to protect him”, “not to forget me”, “to take care of me”).
And faith is not based on magic or symbolic shortcuts, but on prayer and trust.

6) Objects linked to vices or sins

Playing cards, cigarettes, drinks, “lucky charm”, things associated with destructive habits.

This does not “accompany”. Remember.
And if the person carried those struggles, the last thing that is needed is to wear symbols of that as if they were part of their eternal identity.

7) Sacred household icons or images (especially antique)

It’s one thing to have a small devotional book or a blessed memorial of the rite, but it’s quite another to bury valuable or ancient family icons.
Sacred images are there to sustain the living in prayer. Burying them is often a mistake: the home is deprived of a spiritual good and the image is exposed to degradation.

8) Sharp objects or tools

Pocket knives, scissors, needles, tools of the trade (hammer, scalpel, instruments).
Sometimes it is done for “protection” or for identity (“he was a carpenter, let him carry his tool”). But the soul is not defended with metal: it is accompanied by prayer.

9) Letters and notes “for you to read”

Many people write goodbyes, apologies, or final messages and place them inside. It’s understandable… But true communication is not with paper, but with prayer, memory and acts of love.

If you were left with words pending, you can say them in a low voice in front of the coffin or in the cemetery, and transform them into prayer: that makes more spiritual sense than burying a message.

10) Esoteric or occult objects

Talisman, runes, zodiac signs, “protections”, red thread, “charged” objects, amulets bought from supposed “healers”.
This is incompatible with the Christian faith and can bring spiritual confusion. Farewell does not need “magical defenses”: it needs faith, respect and prayer.

So… What should accompany the person?

In a sober Christian farewell, the essential thing is:

• A cross (according to the tradition of each community)
• A small devotional book or appropriate image of the rite, if applicable
• The elements of the religious ceremony (according to the minister and the family)

And for the living, the most important thing happens outside the coffin:

• Daily Prayer
• Request a memorial Mass/service according to local practice
• Charity works in his memory
• Accompanying the family in mourning

Why these mistakes are made

Almost always for three reasons:

1. Ignorance: inherited customs are repeated without knowing where they come from.
2. Pain: the mind seeks to “do something” to calm the anguish.
3. Superstition: faith is confused with mechanical rituals.

And this is what should be ordered calmly: faith does not work by objects, but by love, prayer and truth.

Tips and recommendations

• Talk to your family first (when possible): making it clear that you don’t want money, jewelry, or personal belongings in the coffin avoids conflict and guilt later.
• If it has already happened and things have been put in, do not live in fear: focus your energy on what does help: prayer, service, charity and family accompaniment.
• At the wake, avoid turning the farewell into “a museum of belongings.” A dignified farewell is sober and human.
• If the family has doubts, the most sensible thing to do is to consult a trusted religious guide in their community.
• Instead of spending on items to “bury,” consider making a better gesture: helping someone in need in memory of the deceased. That comforts the living and honors the one who departed.

To say goodbye to a loved one is not to “equip” him for another world, but to accompany him with faith and let him go without ties. What sustains the soul are not objects: it is prayer, love, mercy, and hope. And what heals the living is not clinging to things, but learning to let go in peace.

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