subject: The Necessity Of Funeral Services [print this page] At some point during their lives most people will experience a bereavement and the necessity of either going to or arranging funeral services. There are a large range of different services that are available these days, and include religious and non religious options. Different religions require that their followers are buried or cremated according to the rites of that particular faith.
Many people will have already indicated what kind of service they would like, if it is to be religious or non religious and where they would like their final resting place to be prior to their death, and some may have been as organised as to have it written into their will.
When a person passes there are certain things that have to be arranged, and this may include getting a death certificate issued. Once this has been completed then the organising of the ceremony can begin
There is the decision about where it will take place, and how the deceased will be transported there, what they will be buried or cremated in, and how their grave, if there is one, will be marked. If a person is cremated then there is the decision about what should be done with their ashes. Some people may wish to scatter them, others may want them interred, maybe with another loved one who has already passed, or even kept at home for a period of time whilst still in mourning. If the ashes are to be scattered then it should be checked with the appropriate authorities that this is permitted.
The first part of a funeral service may be a viewing of the body. This is where the deceased is able to be viewed in somewhere like a funeral home so that friends and family can start to say their goodbyes. This is not appropriate for all religions as some need the body to be buried within a certain number of hours or days.
The second chapter is the actual funeral where prayers may be said and songs sung to remember the person who has passed. Close family members or friends may choose to say a few words about the person, and how they will be remembering them. The kind of service is dependent on whether it is religious or non religious. Some religions and ceremonies may have flowers sent by mourners, whereas in other cases this would not be appropriate.
the ceremony may conclude in what is called a wake or a repast, and this is where mourners are offered drinks and something to eat. It also gives them the chance to chat to others who knew the person who died, and to remember them as they start to properly grieve.
Funeral services can be very painful to go to, especially if the circumstances of passing are tragic and unexpected, but they are also a valuable chance to say goodbye to that person, and to remember them and begin the grieving process.
