Funeral Traditions And Rituals
Funerals around the world are characterized by a many traditions and rituals. Funeral provides an opportunity to the family of the deceased to pray for his soul and learn to cope with their loss and sorrow.
Church rules regulate the rites of funerals in Christian communities. However, there are more than 200 different factions of Christianity that have their own different customs and rituals relating to the funeral service.
The first most important ritual in a Christian funeral is known as the wake, which is conducted before the actual funeral service and where the deceased is watched the entire night and psalms are recited to pray for the dead. According to present-day standards, this is the moment when relatives and close friends can pay their last respects to the deceased person. The body is preserved and placed either at the house or in a Church with only a specified number of visiting hours. In olden days, the deceased used to be absolved of his sins of his earthly existence by carrying out the process of absolution after wake. This involved placing a cross on the deceased’s chest and offertory in the casket, where gifts offered were kept.
Then comes the actual service itself, where the dead is first carried to the Church in a vehicle and prayers from the Bible are recited and hymns are sung in the church. Then, the priest requests a dear friend or family member to give a eulogy or tribute to the departed’s life. Some communities have chiming of the bells as an integral part of the tradition that marks the end of ceremony. After the funeral service, the casket is taken to the burial site where a burial service is held before the act of burial.
Finally, the funeral’s end is marked by a lunch organised for the family members and those present at the funeral ceremony. The primary objective of such customs is to provide support to the mourning family and assist them to overcome their grief and accept the fate.
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Suggestions For Preparation Of A Personal Funeral Service
Death is one of the harsh realities of our existence that we are least prepared for. Honouring the dead is a very old practice that has been continuously changing to suit the present times. Traditionally, a funeral service was conducted in church and the departed was paid last respects with hymns as well as a eulogy. But, this trend is changing these days, with more and more people wanting to organise a more personal funeral service for their near and dear one.
Organizing a funeral could be a very painful and tough job, especially right after the death of a relative or someone close. The fundamental misconceptions about funeral services include that this is a legal necessity, which it definitely isn’t. Secondly, many people think that a service has to be organized in a church, which is again untrue. It is crucial to realize that traditionally, such services were held in church but these days, with significance being given to a personal touch, funeral services are being increasingly held in homes. Thirdly, such a personalized service does not mandate presence of a casket or presence of a pastor or clergy to conduct the rituals.
However, for any such personal funeral service, you have to keep the deceased person in mind while making the preparations. The choice of music should be from among the personal options of the deceased, though it is advisable to have soothing music. You can either hire a live music band or choose to play music records.
Personal items can be displayed in the form of a collage, thereby showing the world the real character of the deceased. Another important aspect in any funeral service is an address, in the form of a recital, a song or even a speech describing the deceased.
Lastly, it is advisable to give the guests gathered at the service some kind of a memento that will help them recall the memory of the deceased forever.
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Role Of An Undertaker In A Funeral Service
Undertakers are also referred to as funeral directors and next in line to the family of the deceased and the clergy, they are the most significant persons in charge of the funeral service. These professionals manage the arrangements of the funeral, right from the beginning till the end. Undertakers have to stay prepared for job at any time of the day and any day of the year without fail, as they have an emergency job.
Death brings with it numerous decisions, which the grieving family members are not able to take immediately in the wake of their great loss. Herein lies the importance and utility of the undertaker. He assists you in deciding the time, place and type of the funeral rituals and services for the dead. Moreover, the undertaker helps you in coming to terms with your loss, as he is by your side and plans the whole funeral, enabling you to show your immense love and respect for the deceased person.
Planning a funeral service begins with deciding upon its time, venue and date and then communicating the same to relatives and friends. After making this decision, the undertaker helps to move the body to its resting place, which may be the funeral home or any other place. In case of a burial service, the appropriate casket in which the body is to be rested is often selected by the undertaker.
The undertaker handles every aspect of the funeral service, including decoration with flowers, transport, luncheon, priests, choir singers, ashes and headstone, and any other detail that needs to be worked upon. The wish of the family is always considered in all these things so that the deceased gets a funeral service in a manner he or she would have desired.
Lastly, some undertakers also help in proper embalming and transportation of the body if needed, and in planning and arranging for the funeral service in another country if the person has died abroad.
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Professional Expertise And Traits Needed For An Undertaker’s Job
Undertakers, also known as Funeral Directors, are professionals who manage activities and services associated with funerals. Some of the essential qualities and abilities that are required by those in this job are mentioned below.
Since an undertaker’s services may be required at any time of day or night, the person entering this profession must be willing to be on call at all hours. He should be ready to spend most of his time outdoors because of the unique nature of the task.
The undertaker must be able to understand the sentiments of clients, listen and comprehend their requirements and communicate lucidly. He must be able to handle and communicate with people of different ages and people having various religious and cultural backgrounds. He must be compassionate and must understand others’ feelings. As an undertaker, he is also expected to counsel the family members in time of grief, and he should not allow pain or grief to cloud his abilities.
Undertakers must be serious and dignified by nature, but should not look sad or morose, as this may heighten the grief of the family members of the deceased.
Undertakers must have extensive knowledge and profound respect for the religious sentiments and beliefs of various cultures and communities. They must also be aware of the funeral rituals and customs of burial of different sects.
A successful undertaker will essentially possess good organizational skills and managerial abilities. Making arrangements for essential services like flowers, hearse etc will entail coordination with many providers and will require leadership and management abilities.
An undertaker should be proficient in legal matters and should know the legal formalities to be followed, or the formal approvals needed from the government authorities before organizing funeral services. The necessary regulations and formalities to be followed to get a death certificate or to file valid insurance claims should also be known to him.
Finally, an undertaker should know how to drive and should possess an appropriate driving license, as he may have to drive hearses and limousines.
Dealing With The Sorrow And Pain Of A Beloved’s Death
Often, it is never easy to quickly accept the death of someone you love. Always, there is nothing that can substitute for the shared memories or the part that your beloved had in your life.
The seasons continue changing even after your beloved has been laid to rest, and you find yourself picking up the broken pieces of your life. Your loss is tremendous; after all, your beloved had a main part in your life. For that, you grieve.
Grief can quickly consume individuals who have lost someone close to them. To deal with the sorrow brought about by the demise of a loved one, you have to take action. Taking action can allow the mourning person to remember the life of the departed and celebrate and appreciate it.
To commemorate a departed loved one’s life with a memorial is one action that permits you to confront your grief. Almost all cultures have a way of honoring the dearly departed. The act of giving tribute gives comfort, support, and solace for those who are left behind.
Several ways of honoring the life of the departed is the tombstone, specially carved with loving messages from you; art work or musical compositions personally created by you may also be meaningful tokens of tribute; or you can choose to organize a touching commemoration service with friends who you can laugh and cry with you as you commemorate the life of your loved one who passed away.
The sorrow that one feels in the death of a loved one could not be compared to how others would feel. Be tender with yourself and allow yourself different ways of processing your feelings. If you are an artistic person, you could make your own music, prose or poems or take up painting to release your sadness about the death of your beloved.
At this vulnerable period in your life, it is also a good idea to be around family and friends who can offer you support as you process your bereavement and sorrow.
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Choosing The Appropriate Type Of Casket For The Last Journey Of The Departed
Death is generally followed by overwhelming sorrow and distress, leaving family members and friends inconsolable and emotionally overwhelmed by the death of a loved one. But it is crucial to overcome that sorrow and make arrangements for the funeral proceedings for which an appropriate casket is essential.
It is extremely difficult to be able to focus on the quality, price and other aspects of a casket that you intend to buy during this emotionally tiring and traumatic time. When the departed’s religious or social beliefs specify certain requirements for the casket or the departed himself has made his preferences known in this respect, then the selection of a casket becomes much simpler.
Caskets can be of several shapes, sizes and designs, with prices varying accordingly. There are burial caskets and funeral caskets to select from in accordance with the funeral rites which will be followed. While the funeral casket is meant for the body to be visible during the memorial service, the burial casket is typically only appropriate for burial purposes.
Caskets come in a variety of materials such as metal, fibre, wood and marble. Wooden caskets, which are the most traditional ones, are available in a wide range of wood types, namely mahogany, maple, oak, and so on. Polished perfectly, wooden caskets are of high quality and they look classy with a shiny feel, but their rates are also normally higher. Metal caskets are a good choice with their bronze, stainless steel, or copper finish, and you will have alternatives of different colours, styles, and patterns.
Environment friendly material based caskets are also getting popular these days with so much stress on protecting the planet, especially among the environmentally conscious people. As the raw materials used are completely biodegradable, these caskets result in least damage to the planet. If the deceased person was a strong supporter of environment safety then this casket could be your best tribute to your near and dear one.
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