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Let me get one thing straight, I’m not the expert on funerals, there are certainly more qualified people than I am to speak on the subject of funerals, but having been a funeral celebrant for some years now, it always amazes me about the customs and traditions of funerals!

I remember years ago having been to my uncles funeral that many of the ‘young folks’ weren’t ‘allowed’ into the funeral parlour for the service as it ‘wasn’t a child place’ – my goodness thankfully times have changed and funerals services are now real celebrations of peoples lives…and that’s where the fascination starts.

Some families will say to me, “we’d like to celebrate their life”, but give me nothing but doom and gloom, no laughs, no real achievements and high points in the life of the deceased….others go the other way and have a real party, laughs, videos, music…the lot! And THEY are an amazing celebration.

I say to lots of families, as long as what we do reflects upon the persons life, otherwise people will shake their heads and think what the hells going on.

There are just so many customs, rituals and other things that make funerals, well……..funerals.

In the course of the next few weeks, I’ll take a look at some of the customs of funerals and also what really makes a funeral and I’d love your opinion!

After all, it’s your life and what counts is how you live it and what YOU’D like end your loved ones are left to celebrate that life.

Here’s where we will be headed and in no particular order;

Anglican/Episcopalian

Baptist

Buddhist

Catholic

Eastern Orthodox

Hindu

Jewish

Lutheran

Methodist

Muslim

Mormon

Presbyterian

Quaker

So, from protocols for cleaning your loved ones to dressing a body to features of the funeral service to memorial events, the structure that religion provides around dealing with a death both full fills religious obligations and offers guidance to grieving survivors and I’ll cover it all….

Any questions? Good! I’ll address them by asking some of the nations top funeral directors to mortician staff and even grave diggers, I’ll cover the lot of the next few weeks, so strap in and enjoy life….I know I do!

Next week….The Catholic Funeral and customs!

Happiness does not come from doing easy work but from the afterglow of satisfaction that comes after the achievement of a difficult task that demanded our best.

Theodore Isaac Rubin