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Funeral Beliefs and Traditions
By Sean Redfearn
One inevitable part of life is death. At one time or
another, in the course of our lives, it is just
unavoidable that we will be faced with the death of
someone we love. In these sad moments comes the
necessity of making funeral arrangements. Funerals
usually vary in different countries, culture, and
religion. Despite the variations on how funerals are
performed around the world, they all share one purpose
in that they honor the life and memory of the dead and
for the family to pay their final respects.
No funeral is the same. Funeral services can now be
personalized depending on the family background or
tradition. Although there maybe some generalities to
modern funerals, personal touches could be added in
order to reflect the unique personality of the deceased.
Funerals may begin with a wake viewing. Traditionally,
the casket is opened for viewings, but some families
choose to close the casket and instead display pictures
of their deceased loved one.
Usually, funerals also include some form of service.
Again, depending on the family's religion or tradition,
the service may be held at a funeral parlor or in a
church, synagogue, or any other place of worship. To
make this portion of the funeral more personalized,
loved ones usually perform readings or excerpts from
poems or literature that was particularly special to the
deceased.
On the other hand, other family members would prefer
having the memorial service at a later time after the
burial. In this non-traditional setting, loved ones can
gather at any special place to honor the deceased
without the presence of the casket.
Burial services are another part of the funeral
planning. The family can choose from a variety of
cemetery plots and mausoleums. Nowadays, cremation is
one of the popular options wherein the family can
scatter the ashes in a particularly special place or
keep in an urn.
You can personalize funerals by adding special touches
and making it more memorable. But at the end of the day,
funerals should accomplish what it's really meant for -
to honor the life of the one you loved.
Sean Redfearn, is a writer for the Fuerteventura News,
and owner of the Caleta Live website, dedicated to all
things in Caleta de Fuste. He is a resident of the
Island, and spends much of it in Caleta de Fuste. |
