Why is it permissable to do taharas hameis and kevurah on second day Rosh Hashanah?
Answer:
The Gemara explains that the second day of Yom Tov, and even the second day of Rosh Hashanah, whose prohibition on labor is only rabbinic, is permitted with regard to the needs of the dead.
The Ramban (Toras Ha-Adam), and the Magen Avraham (526:15) explains that for matters that involve a zilusa of the day (things that are inappropriate for Yom Tov), only the bare essentials for the deceased are permitted. Therefore, the dead can be buried, but the followers of the funeral procession may not ride horses.
