Author Archives: Funeral Advice

What type of music can be used at a funeral?

The funeral home generally has a selection of hymns and other styles of music. It is also possible for the family to provide musical selections to be played on the funeral home’s system. Live music, in the form of a … Continue reading

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Should I involve the clergy?

It is very common for a member of the clergy to lead the funeral service, graveside service, and to offer support to family and friends. It is important for the funeral process to have special meaning for those closest to … Continue reading

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Where can you hold a funeral?

The location of the funeral service can be in any funeral home, church, or other location chosen by the deceased or the family. A full-service funeral home has the knowledge, the equipment, and the personnel to fulfill the requirements of … Continue reading

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What is visitation?

The visitation, preceding the funeral or memorial service, is a time when family and friends gather at the funeral home or other appropriate place to share their grief and to offer support with tributes of flowers, donations to favorite charities, … Continue reading

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How are funeral arrangements made?

Your first contact, when beginning the funeral planning process, will most likely be a funeral home. When a death occurs, your chosen funeral home begins helping you immediately. The staff is prepared to take your call 24 hours a day, … Continue reading

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Why is it a good idea to preplan your own funeral?

Often, the major concern for those making funeral arrangements is: What are the right choices? At the time of death, the right choices are often something only the family can determine. However, it is possible and increasingly common for a … Continue reading

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Why is having a funeral service important?

Psychologists, and other experts, agree that the benefits of a funeral service are for those who are left behind. And before family and friends can fully adjust to their loss, survivors must express their grief in ways meaningful to them. … Continue reading

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What are some jewish funeral customs?

Funerals should take place as soon as possible, often done on the day of death or the following day. Autopsies are not routinely done unless required by law. Cremation isn’t allowed because traditional Jews are prohibited to desecrate a body … Continue reading

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In Islam how is the body prepared for the funeral?

In preparation for burial, the family or other members of the community will wash and shroud the body. (If the deceased was killed as a martyr, this step is not performed; martyrs are buried in the clothes they died in.) … Continue reading

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Can you please tell me more about hindu funerals?

Hinduism allows for either cremation or burial, however infants are always buried. The Hindus do not erect tombs because the follow the idea that you should leave the earth the way you arrived, and to have no attachment upon one’s … Continue reading

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Why would someone wish to have a burial in a roman catholic cemetery?

Catholic people believe that each person, created in the image and likeness of God, sets out on a faith journey. Our church, and in particular the local parish, is always present along the way to minister to the traveler’s needs … Continue reading

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What happends at a christian funeral?

The Christian church allows burial or cremation. The family will follow the wishes of the person who died in this matter. The priest or the minister from the church will meet with the family of the deceased. The person who … Continue reading

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What is a buddist funeral like and how was the body of the dead buddist disposed?

A Buddhist funeral is usually a very simple ceremony that takes place before the burial or cremation of the deceased. There are not any fixed rules for the procedures. It is not a question concerning Buddhism. If you are attending … Continue reading

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What are some of the different religious custom regarding funerals?

Funeral customs have traditionally varied by religion. In Buddhism, death is prepared for through meditation, and death itself is viewed as a rebirth. Once dead, the body is washed, rituals are performed over it, a wake is held, and then … Continue reading

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will a cemetery ever be used for something else?

Communities afford respect to cemeteries and to the memorialization, which cemeteries provide. In order to protect interment rights holders, strict rules govern the use of cemetery lands. Graves are normally considered to be sold in perpetuity, which restricts possible re-development.

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Can I resell my grave?

It really depends on the rules and regulations of the cemetery and the laws of the state or province in which the cemetery is located. While some cemeteries will repurchase graves, others have laws restricting the resale to a third … Continue reading

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How soon after death will burial happen?

This may vary by state so check with your local funeral director. Considerations include the need to secure all permits and authorizations, notification of family and friends, preparation of cemetery site and religious considerations. Some states have limitations on the … Continue reading

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Why do some people wait while the grave is filled in?

Some cultures require that the grave is filled in while the family watch or they may wish to undertake the backfilling of the grave themselves. When families want this it is essential that the cemetery is made aware of their … Continue reading

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What should I do if death occurs in the middle of the nights or on the weekend?

Most Funeral Directors are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. If you request immediate assistant, someone will come right away. However, if you wish to spend time with the deceased to say goodbye, they will come when … Continue reading

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Is it right to make a profit from death?

Funeral directors look upon their profession as a service, but it is also a business. And like any business, funeral homes must make a profit to exist. As long as the profit is reasonable and the services rendered are necessary, … Continue reading

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Do funeral directors take advantage of the grieving family?

Funeral directors are caring individuals who help people deal with a very stressful time. They serve the same families 80 percent of the time, and many have spent most of their lives in the same community. If they took advantage … Continue reading

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Is cremation as a mean of disposing increasing?

According to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), cremation was the disposition of choice in about 27 percent of all deaths in the United States in the year 2001. It is projected that the percentage will rise to about … Continue reading

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Why have a public viewing?

Many grief specialists believe that viewing aids the grief process by helping the bereaved recognize the reality of death. Viewing is even encouraged for children, as long as the process is explained and the activity voluntary.

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Do you have to bury the dead?

In most states, family members may bury their own dead, although regulations vary. But, most people find it difficult to be solely responsible for arranging the details and legal matters surrounding a death.

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Is it possible to have a traditional funeral if someone dies of AIDS?

Yes, A person who dies of an AIDS-related illness is entitled to the same service options as anyone else. If public viewing is consistent with local or personal customs, that option is encouraged. Touching the deceased’s face or hands is … Continue reading

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