Why is the funeral/burial several days after death? I've noticed that Christian funerals and burials tend to come several days after the death, even in cases where the death was expected, there was no police involvement (so no need to wait on investigations), and nobody had to travel great distances.1  I've seen this for Roman Catholic, Greek Orthodox, and some type of Lutheran (sorry, don't know which), so I'm assuming it's general, but if that assumption is mistaken please correct me.  

Is there a theological reason to wait?  Maybe a wait of three days is religiously significant, or there is some belief that either the soul or the family needs the delay?  Is it a practical concern (that somehow doesn't apply to Jewish burials, which are usually within a day)?  Is it not seen as urgent and so it's easier to just always have a delay?

1 The case that reminded me to ask the question is a Monday-morning death, expected, and a Saturday funeral, where nobody has to fly in.
There is nothing in the Code of Canon Law which requires a wait of any particular time after a death for a funeral to take place. (My father was buried two days after his death; so were my wife's parents. In all cases the delays were simply due to the need to coordinate with the priest and the funeral home.)

The Catechism of the Catholic Church does briefly allude to the idea that the community may celebrate "the anniversary of a death, or the seventh or thirtieth day after death" (paragraph 1687); I've never seen such a celebration.

The Ordo Exsequiarum (Order of Funerals, the book which contains the Catholic rites surrounding funerals) may have something further to say on this; unfortunately, it is not a text to which I have access.