For thousands of years, funerals have been a means of expressing our beliefs, thoughts and feelings about the death of someone we love. Meaningful funeral ceremonies are rites of passage. They help us move from life before a death to life after a death. The funeral also provides a safe place to affirm the worth of our relationship with the person who died and express our feelings of loss. Another way to think of the funeral is as a final tribute to the person who died. Most families choose to honour their deceased loved ones with some sort of ceremony that is arranged with the help of a funeral professional.

The funeral ceremony:

  • helps us acknowledge that someone we love has died
  • allows us to say goodbye
  • provides a social support system for us and other friends and family
  • allows us to contemplate the meaning of life and death
  • offers continuity and hope for the living

You may not have planned or attended many funerals before. Funeral directors are experienced in these matters and are familiar with the customs, legal issues and resources in your community. When mere words are inadequate, many people find the ritual of ceremony healing. How a body will be cared for after a death is an important decision. Most people believe the body should be “laid to rest” with respect and dignity. Your faith or culture may have its own variations on these elements of ceremony. It is often based on family and ethnic traditions.

Burial, Entombment or Cremation?

How a body will be cared for after a death is an important decision. Today, most people are buried or entombed (which means the body is “buried” in an above-ground monument such as a mausoleum). People select burial based on a number of factors, including the desire to keep with tradition or, in some cases, for religious or cultural reasons.

Some families choose cremation as their means of final disposition. The rationale for choosing cremation includes convenience, environmental reasons or financial considerations. Cremation can be enhanced with elements observed in other funerals, such as a viewing or visitation, a memorial service, a committal or scattering ritual or, ideally, all three. Including these elements of ceremony may make cremation a more meaningful option.