Funerals vs. Celebrations of Life
Funerals vs. Celebrations of Life
It's interesting; funerals and celebrations of life have much in common, yet they often appear very different. Each is a ceremony; a gathering of people who share a common loss. It's just that one is more rooted in tradition, while the other is the result of recent changes in social values. But both serve to do three things:
- Help the bereaved family and their community publicly acknowledge the death of one of their own
- Support the grieving family by surrounding them with caring friends, co-workers, and neighbors
- Move the deceased from one social status to another
Yet they achieve those things in very different ways. First, let's take a closer look at what most of us commonly see as very
traditional funerals.
The Funeral
Funeral traditions have existed for centuries and remain an important part of how societies honor and remember those who have passed. A traditional funeral typically includes three main elements: a visitation, a funeral service, and a graveside committal, which is often the format most people recognize from books, film, and everyday experience.
Visitation
This time is set aside for family and friends to gather together to say goodbye, while being in the comfort of those closest to them. We can personalize the visitation to be as unique as your loved one with a tribute video, items or displays that were important to your loved one, or simply with pictures displayed. We will work with your family to design the perfect gathering experience.
Funeral Service
The funeral service can be held in our chapel, a church, or any other venue the family chooses. We work with our families to design a service that honors their loved one with stories, music, or scripture. We also have life celebrants who lead services where clergy may not be chosen. Our celebrants are trained in creating experiences that help start the healing process.
Graveside Service
A graveside or committal service is typically held immediately following the funeral service, but it can also be a small, intimate gathering of those closest to you.
Celebration of Life
Author Barbara Kingsolver, in her book The Poisonwood Bible, wrote, “To live is to be marked. To live is to change, to acquire the words of a story, and that is the only celebration we mortals really know.” We think this reflection is at the heart of a celebration of life. While a funeral, as we've described it above, has more to do with the orderly and often spiritually-defined, a celebration-of-life is more concerned with telling the story of the deceased. Celebrations of life are just that: a time people come together more to celebrate the unique personality and achievements of the deceased than to merely witness or mark the change in their social status.
Celebrations of life are similar to memorial services, which can be described as a hybrid event: combining the flexibility of a celebration of life with many of the activities of a traditional funeral order-of-service.
There's more room for creativity in a celebration of life than in a funeral. Since celebrations of life are commonly held after the individual's physical remains have been cared for through burial or cremation, there is much more time available to plan the event. And without doubt, this allows you to make better decisions about how you'd like to celebrate the life of someone you dearly loved.
Personalized Farewells for Every Journey
Every life is unique, and we’re committed to helping you plan a tribute that truly honors that uniqueness.
