The ceremonial folding of the U.S. flag during a military funeral involves the following steps ^{1 2 3 4}:

1. The flag is lowered, folded in a triangle shape, and kept under watch throughout the night.
2. The next morning, it is run aloft as a symbol of belief in the resurrection of the body.
3. The flag is skillfully folded into a tricorner shape after the playing of Taps.
4. It is then handed over to the deceased’s next of kin as a memorial.
5. The guards make a total of 13 clean, accurate folds, each with a specific meaning.
6. For an urn, the flag is pre-folded and displayed alongside the urn during services.