Sadly my boss died on Thursday of a heart attack, he was in his forties. I was asked to go to see him in his coffin, so i thought I would pass on my experience.
He is at his mothers house in his coffin on the floor. Next to the coffin is also covered in mattresses. You can see his face but the rest is covered in a white sheet with ferns and a red rose covering that. You take off your shoes and are introduced to everyone else in the room. You then sit on the mattresses next to the coffin and talk to everyone and also to the dead person. His mother was stroking his hair and face and calling him a naughty boy. He will be there until tomorrow when it is the funeral service and then he is taken to the Marae, on Wednesday he will be buried with his grandfather. His mother sleeps next to the coffin as he will not be left on his own until he is buried. He looks very peaceful and is surrounded by photos of him smiling. They also take guitars and sing together.
Trudy