The Funeral Service

A funeral is a ceremony marking a person's death. Funerary customs comprise the complex of beliefs and practices used by a culture to remember the dead, from the funeral itself, to various monuments, prayers, and rituals undertaken in their honor. These customs vary widely between cultures, and between religious affiliations within cultures.

Funerals and Memorials: A Part of Recovery

A memorial service and funeral are important elements in the chain of events that occurs after a death. For many, these ceremonies may be difficult because it brings vivid reminders of the loss, resonates with finality, and emphasizes fears of the future. While sadness, tearfulness, and anxiety are common feelings in response to a death, memorials and funerals provide an opportunity to show appreciation for the person, to grieve together, and to take the first steps toward making a new beginning.

Funerals and memorials bring powerful reminders of the deceased person’s place in the family and in the community and serve to underscore how they are remembered and that they've left a legacy of family, friends and associates.

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