Coffin and casket – probably the most confusing boxes in history! Though often used interchangeably, these two terms tell different stories, influenced by many cultural and historical factors. So, what exactly sets them apart? Let’s lift the lid on the differences, and clear it up once and for all!

In the UK, the distinction between coffin and casket is about their shape and origin:

• SHAPE: tapered, wider at the shoulders and narrower at the feet (hexagonal or octagonal)
• LID: removable
• MATERIALS: solid wood, veneer, cardboard, wicker, wool, bamboo, etc.
• LINING: typically silk or satin in subtle colours
• COST: varies by material, but generally budget-friendly
• USAGE: traditional and most common in the UK

• SHAPE: rectangular, bulky
• LID: hinged and split in two
• MATERIALS: wood or metal
• LINING: lavish, padded and quilted
• COST: expensive, often thousands of pounds
• USAGE: rare in the UK

IN SHORT: in the UK, “coffin” is the standard, while “casket” refers to a rectangular, American-style alternative.

Sounds simple? Not so fast.

In the USA there are the same names for the same shapes. Coffin is the tapered box with removable lid, while casket is bulky and rectangular, with a hinged, split lit.

But here’s the twist. In the UK, coffins are the standard, while in the US is the other way round – caskets are the default choice provided by funeral homes.

How does it happen???

Let’s start from the very beginning…

In medieval Britain, people traditionally had three options for burial outfits.

• WINDING SHEET – plain, double-sized piece of fabric wrapped around the body, tied at both ends to look like a giant sweet, with the face left exposed
• FUNERAL SHROUD – more structured, with sleeves and a decorative collar, often resembling a modern hospital gown at the back
• GRAVE-CLOTHES – items that looked like regular clothing but lacked functionality (e.g. no buttonholes, linings, pockets or oversewing)

Though many historical texts claim everyone was shrouded, archaeological findings from Spitalfields in London tell a different story. Most of the examined dead were buried wearing their own clothes. For example one a man in an old, darned cotton nightshirt, and another one in clothes that had been fashionable sixty years before his funeral.

Back then, “PARISH COFFINS” were communal vessels, used only during the service and for transporting the body from church to gravesite, where it was removed before being placed in the ground. But by the mid-17th century, the wealthy began using coffins for actual burial.

In 1700, English law changed to allow all classes to be buried in coffins, and within a century, they became the norm. Formed in the shape of the bodies, wider at the shoulders and then narrowing again at the feet, they were believed to preserve the dead for Judgement Day. Of course, the poor had plain pine coffins, while the rich had yew or mahogany, silk linings, brass handles and fancy velvet drapes.

Although four-sided coffins did exist in Britain, by the 18th century funerals became standardised, and hexagonal variants dominated. The term “coffin” was universally used for all types and shapes of burial boxes. Meanwhile, “casket” meant a box for precious things like jewellery, trinkets or documents.

Early American colonies followed British burial customs, firstly wrapping their dead in shrouds, and later using coffins. In the mid-19th century, Americans felt that the link between the shape of the coffin and its creepy contents was rather disturbing. They swapped it for “BURIAL CASES” or “CASKETS” in a modern and elegant rectangular shape. The word took on a softer connotation, and the coffin was quietly buried in American tradition.

And so, while in Britain “casket” remained its original meaning of a box for treasures, in the USA it became the default word for burial containers. “Coffin” was abandoned as a relic of the past. Today, Americans are buried in caskets, while coffins are reserved for Halloween decorations.

It seems that, like most things in the world, wooden coffins may have been a Chinese invention. Some of the earliest, dating back to 5000 BC, were found in Beishouling, Shaanxi province. But for emperors and elites, wood wasn’t enough. They were laid to rest in exquisite jade coffins… or entire jade suits, with thousands of tiny tiles stitched together with glimmering gold thread. Jade was believed to preserve the body, and protect the soul, warding off evil spirits for all eternity. Each suit took years to create, demanding the work of countless skilled hands.

The word coffin has surprisingly humble origins. It comes from the Old French cofin, meaning “little basket,” and in Middle English, it referred to any kind of container: a chest, a box… or even a pie. In fact, medieval Christmas pies were often called coffins, with their crusts shaped into elaborate edible cases.

As if jade suits were not enough, here’s another fascinating Chinese burial tradition: the Bo people of Guizhou province placed their coffins high up on cliff faces, sometimes 30 meters above ground, anchoring them into the rock with wooden stakes. No one’s entirely sure why (or how), but theories range from keeping the dead closer to the heavens to protecting them from wild animals and floods. It was practiced by various cultures in China, Indonesia and the Philippines.

In medieval Japan, barrel-shaped coffins were a popular choice. Interestingly, they bore an uncanny resemblance to sake barrels… Imagine someone mixing them up and having a gruesome surprise!

During the late 16th and 17th centuries, MEMENTO MORI (“remember you must die”) trend swept across Europe, and people wore coffin-shaped jewellery, reminding them to live virtuously in preparation for the eternal judgement.

NESTING COFFINS

Burial containers interred in catacombs are legally required to be sealed to prevent leakage. Historically, they were triple lined: an inner wooden coffin was wrapped in lead and then placed within an outer coffin of oak or mahogany, often richly decorated.

In the early 1900s, the United States got inspired by a German fairy tale about Snow White, and invented the glass casket. Patented as an airtight and watertight solution to the rot of death, they were marketed as both modern and hygienic, perfectly preserving the deceased for ever. Unsurprisingly, the terribly impractical idea never quite caught on.

Also known as FANTASTIC AFTERLIFE VEHICLES (FAVs) or ABEBUU ADEKAI, they made by specialised carpenters in the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. The Ga people believe that life continues in the next world, and the social status of the deceased depends on being buried in an exclusive coffin representing their profession, achievements, or clan totems.

A couple of gems from my homeland that were simply too good not to include!

From the late 17th through the 18th century, Polish noblemen (also noblewomen and children!) would have their portraits painted on metal sheets and attached to their coffins. They were strikingly realistic, meant to represent the deceased at their own funeral – staring at the mourners, checking whether all the gathered relatives cried well enough. After the funeral, the portrait was typically hung in the church as a posthumous reminder of the deceased’s status and legacy.

Today, they are in collections of many Polish museums, with one dedicated specifically to this phenomenon in European art and culture… Now, guess who’s been there last summer and can’t wait to write an article about it! Spoiler alert: MEEE!!!

Another quirky Polish detail is that we only have one word for both coffin and casket: “trumna”. We have rectangular ones, but they are regular sized, not as bulky as in the US. If you want to refer to a proper split-lid casket, you just call it an “American-style coffin”. They’re insanely expensive, and despite attending hundreds of funerals, I’ve never seen one! Most ceremonies in Poland involve an open coffin, allowing relatives and friends to see the deceased one last time, hold their hand, and say goodbyes.

Next to most Polish cemeteries you find a funeral home’s office complete with a whole variety of coffins displayed in a huge window – so weirdos like me and my family can enjoy a creepy little window shopping, freaking out random passersby…

Modern coffins come in various unusual materials including steel, fibreglass and even recycled kraft paper. Funeral homes now offer hundreds of designs to choose from!

Want something truly one-of-a-kind?

A Nottingham-based team of artists and designers hand-making bespoke coffins shaped like guitars, ballet shoes, canal boats and more, turning funerals into personal statements. How awesome is that?! Here’s a link to their website.

Based in Brighton, makes tiny, soft coffins for babies born too soon – made of pure wool felt, suitable for both natural burial and cremation.

Their website offers a selection of eco-friendly coffins crafted from natural, biodegradable materials like bamboo, willow or banana leaf, ensuring a harmonious return to the Earth.

From communal parish boxes to bespoke banana-leaf designs and lavish golden caskets, burial containers have always been quiet storytellers of who we were and how we lived. Car-shaped or rectangular, mahogany or cardboard – every coffin (or casket!) reflects a culture’s fascinating, deeply symbolic relationship with death. As society continues to evolve, so do funeral practices, currently shifting towards personalisation, inclusivity and environmental awareness. I can’t wait for these to become more common!

Choose wisely. After all, it’s your final outfit.

I’m dreaming of a lovely willow coffin adorned with my favourite wildflowers… And you?