What is the purpose of a funeral?
Funerals are an important step in the grieving process, as well as an opportunity to celebrate a life lived. They offer surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death. Often funerals are the first step in the healing process.
The Purpose of a funeral: It is important to recognize that funerals and memorial ceremonies are for the living … for those who are affected by the loss of a loved one. It is through the funeral process that we initiate our transition through life without our loved one. This meets a number of emotional needs. The funeral celebrates the life that has been lived, and offers family and friends the opportunity to pay their final respects to their loved one. The gathering of family and friends for a time of sharing helps to provide emotional support so needed at this time. This will help those who grieve to face the reality of death and consequently, to take the first step toward a healthy emotional adjustment. The funeral can and does take on many varied forms. Funerals can last from minutes to days and are usually influenced by the values of the bereaved family. Optional Services and Disposition: Today a valuable aspect of contemporary funerals is their individuality. Whether a ceremony
A funeral is a gathering of family and friends during which people offer comfort to the family and pay tribute to the deceased person and their memory. Increasingly funerals are referred to as a “celebration of a life.” The funeral often is the time that allows the grieving process to begin by providing a structured ceremony or ritual within which to remember the special things about the person. People often comment that a funeral is an opportunity to reflect on their own mortality, their priorities and spiritual issues. Increasingly, people are becoming creative in planning funerals to make them personalized and meaningful. Some communities of faith have very set rituals, while others encourage considerable variation and personalization. For people who are not part of a community of faith, a service does not have to be religious. Many clergy or moderators will tailor the service to the family’s wishes. BACK TO TOP • How much does the average funeral cost? Recent Board of Funeral Servi
Funerals provide surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to recognize the death of a loved one, and to share thoughts and feelings about that person. Funerals are the first step in the healing process. The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including: • Providing a social support system for the bereaved • Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life • Integrating the bereaved back into the community • Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one • Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain • Reaffirming one’s relationship with the person who died • Providing a time to say good-bye It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.
Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death, funerals are the first step in the healing process. The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including: • Providing a social support system for the bereaved • Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life • Integrating the bereaved back into the community • Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one • Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain • Reaffirming one’s relationship with the person who died • Providing a time to say good-bye It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.
