Talk and Act
Funeral directing has changed a lot since it first began to emerge as a profession over two hundred years ago. For a long time, funerals had been arranged through individual people, who often did it just because it had become their family’s traditional role within the community. Funeral were then very simple affairs though, and just involved finding someone to prepare the body (called ‘the layer out’), a coffin maker, and a church minister.
Funerals were strongly community-centered and those preparing the bodies were very often the same people who acted as midwives. Now, the role of the undertaker has evolved into a profession in itself and the majority of those involved in funeral directing today are in firms with a long, established family history.
Coffins used to be made at the home of the undertaker and each coffin was made by hand from solid oak, elm or mahogany. A generous supply of wood shavings was then spread over the inside of the coffin to form a mattress and pillow and it was then lined with a bed sheet.
Once completed, the coffin would be taken back to the house of the deceased by the undertaker and his men. If the doorway was too narrow, as it often was in those days, the undertaker’s carpenter had to remove windows for the coffin to be taken inside. This process then had to be repeated when the coffin was later removed for the funeral.
Families chose the front room or parlor as the last resting place for their loved one, who would be laid out in their best clothes and who would be left with the family until the funeral. This was the norm for many decades. The Chapels of Rest that we are familiar with in funeral establishments these days did not come into use until the late 1950s.
With the coffin placed on trestles in the front room, candles would be arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot of it. As embalming was too expensive for most families, the undertaker would need to make regular visits to the house to ensure that the body remained in a bearable condition. It was common to place fragrant flowers around the room to hide the unpleasant odors which naturally arose.
On the day of the funeral, which usually took place three or four days after death, the family and friends lined up outside of their homes. Curtains would be drawn as a mark of respect, and they would stand silently as the coffin passed. The body was nearly always buried in the nearest churchyard, as a fee had to be paid to move the body outside of a town’s boundaries.
Nowadays, all this is taken care of by the highly-trained funeral director, which means that the family of the deceased can spend their time grieving for their loved one without any distractions.
—
With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral director services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.
Tags: culture, death, Family, funerals, society
Posted in Dying · February 26th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Today, more than ever before, the role of funeral directors is continuing to evolve in order to keep up with cultural shifts. The profession has significantly moved on from its beginnings in the late eighteenth century. Gone are the days of heavy mourning, the black-plumed horses and somber ceremony.
Over the past ten or twenty years, society has started to think about death in new ways, and funeral directors have had to meet these new needs. As it stands now, funeral homes are seen as much more of a ‘one stop shop’, offering services that range from lasting keepsakes to floral tributes.
For an increasing amount of people, whilst loss and grief are obviously still at its core, the funeral of a loved one has become an opportunity to celebrate their life, rather than mourn the loss of it. Strictly black attire and solemn hymns have slowly been giving way to the occasional introduction of subtle color and even favorite pop songs. The funeral director has needed to follow this cultural drift and offer a broader range of services.
Since the option of pre-payment was introduced around thirty years ago, pre-paid funeral plans are now as common as post-paid ones. A growing number of people also go beyond this, not only paying for their own funeral in advance, but planning the actual ceremony, so the family approaches the funeral director knowing the full wishes of their loved one.
To act as efficient as they can, funeral directors also need to be aware of the shifting business of life. In addition to dealing first-hand with grief, they can offer counseling, help with legal matters and financial guidance. Rather than the ‘body-centered’ service of earlier years, today the profession is significantly more knowledge-based.
The start of the twenty-first century saw a rise in the number of dispersed families. When it comes to handling the death of a loved one, many people therefore appreciate convenience. The role of the funeral director has evolved to take this into account, using the Internet to streamline its services and make them more accessible and efficient.
From a financial perspective, funeral directors have seen profit margins on facilities usage and the sale of coffins reduce quite significantly. This has given rise to many expanding their range of services and products, including online obituaries and creative keepsakes such as necklaces made from the cremated remains.
Funeral directors will have to persist with adapting their services in the future. However, whatever changes the future may bring, their role will remain sensitive, practical and comforting.
—
With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.
Tags: death, Family, funeral directors, funerals, society
Posted in Dying · February 3rd, 2010 · Comments (0)