21st Century Funerals

Funerals of the 21st Century are much different than they were back in “grandpa’s days.” First, the cost is so much higher and they are so much more elaborate. As with anything, the cost is definitely up to you, your tastes and your beliefs. Nowadays, a funeral is supposed to be a “celebration of life” of the person who has died. In “grandpa’s days” funerals were very serious business and very depressing.

Funeral expenses are very flexible. You can easily spend several thousand dollars on a casket, flower arrangements, and catering. Just as easily, you can arrange a funeral on a very nominal budget.

A variety of service types are available as well. The service can be a small memorial for just the family at the funeral home, or it can include friends and the public, with a full viewing at the funeral home, and service in a church. The same choices apply to the commitment in the cemetery. It depends on the decisions made by the bereaved.

Funerals typically have some sort of music regardless of the service’s location, and many times a friend or relative will provide it. Music can be a very important and inspirational part of the service.

Another route some people take is to plan their own funerals before they pass away. By doing so, a person can design the ceremony to their own tastes, and alleviate the burden of planning that would otherwise fall to the bereaved at what is already a difficult time.

A funeral home must exercise all of its tact and compassion when handling the funeral of a child. Funerals such as these are especially trying for the family.

At most funerals now there are people who like to get up and talk about the deceased person and tell highlights from their lives as they knew them. This is usually quite informative for people who did not know the deceased too well, and it is also an escape valve for friends and family members.

Finally, one of the most major changes has been to how people dress. In the past wearing any color but black was very taboo. Now bright colors are acceptable because they underscore the change in attitude about the funeral’s meaning – from sorrow over death to celebrating life.

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