Such a Funeral Service concerns itself with concentrating on the life, personality & character of the deceased. The funeral oration (the eulogy) is a tribute to, and a celebration of, the life of the deceased and does not have a religious content.
The death of a loved one is certainly the most traumatic event of one’s life. Relatives are stunned with shock and ravaged by grief, even when the death was expected, for example following a long period of illness and/or hospitalisation.
It is at such a time families need empathy, support, and understanding, and sympathetic help and guidance as they deal with the formalities of death.
Beginning of Arrangements
The (inevitable!) bureaucratic paperwork needs to be attended to, the rest of the family and friends need to be notified of the death, a local funeral director to be contacted and arrangements made for burial or cremation.
It is a stressful period of acute anxiety for the family.
The bereaved appreciate the care and guidance given by all funeral directors who have years of experience in dealing with the formalities of death, and are there to make the trauma of death as manageable and as bearable as possible.
Tradition dictates that the services of a local vicar, priest (or in these modern times, the local priestess) is engaged to conduct a funerary service.
There is growing public awareness that such religious ceremonies can be extremely impersonal and indifferent, concentrating as they do on aspects of a ‘life after death’ in some sort of heavenly paradise under the protective care of a god, rather than concentrating on the personality and character of the deceased, and the worth and value of the life that has ended.
An Alternative
Secular, non-religious ceremonies which concentrate on aspects of the deceased’s character, life and personality are becoming increasingly popular as more and more people become aware of their availability.
Choices
The local council’s department of Births & Deaths are beginning to offer non-religious ceremonies to the bereaved when they go to register the death. The recently bereaved may not be aware that these are considered by experienced celebrants of such ceremonies, and indeed, by many funeral directors, as just as impersonal and insensitive as many religious ones, conducted as they are by local government employees.
Funeral directors have contact with experienced family, humanist, non-religious Celebrants whom they can recommend to the bereaved.
The celebrant will visit the family and they together will formulate a dignified and significant memorial service to their deceased loved one.
The deceased may have made their own choice regarding their mortal remains but if they have not the family may choose cremation, burial in a cemetery or in a woodland plot.
Following cremation ashes may be scattered in a much-loved spot visited by the deceased when alive, in a woodland, or interred in a family plot in a cemetery.
The Celebrant will discuss all these options with the family, also poetry, readings, preferred music to accompany the ceremony, and will encourage family members or friends if they feel able to make a personal, individual tribute to the ceremony.
Occasionally the bereaved family choose to conduct the entire funeral arrangements from beginning to end and this is perfectly acceptable providing legal requirements are met and competently fulfilled.
In this regard the Natural Death Society produce a most informative publication ‘The Natural Death Handbook’ and the Society will be helpful with guidance and advice.
They can be contacted at:
The Natural Death Society
6 Blackstock Mews Blackstock Road London N4 2BT
Tel: 020 7359 8391 Fax 020 7354 3831
Email: ndc@alberyfoundation.org Website: www.naturaldeath.org.uk
Also visit these informative sites & place them on your ‘Favourites’:
www.humanistcelebrants.co.uk | www.humanismvoiced.co.ukFor those with environmental interests and concerns regarding the disposal of one’s mortal remains we suggest you visit the following -
Alternative & Green Funerals in North West England See our Link Page for information
Natural burial in woodlands with environmentally-friendly coffins are available to all.
Cremation has become the accepted way of disposal of one’s mortal remains but cremation does make a contribution to atmospheric impurities - increased mercury levels for example.
Although often discouraged by civil authorities, for obvious land usage & maintenance reasons, burial is kinder to the environment.
Totally natural burial is even kinder to it!
Woodland burials, whether owned and operated by civil authorities, farmers, wildlife trusts or private individuals are becoming popular.
Humanist Celebrants and Funeral Directors can supply further advice, guidance and information.