Talk and Act
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.
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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)
Buddhism is one of the most popular religions practised extensively across the world. The basic principles of the religion are based on the teachings of Buddha. Buddhism teaches compassion and love for all creatures and awareness of the Ultimate Truth.
Buddhist funeral rites also rely on these basic principles of the religion. After the death of a person in a Buddhist family, some rituals have to be practised in order to make sure that the departed soul is elevated to a higher stage in afterlife. Prayers are done invoking the goodness of the deceased person and wishes are made for a blissful life after death for the departed.
The first stage in funeral rituals is that of giving a traditional wash to the body. After that comes the stage of reading out from religious scriptures by the monks, thereby guiding the soul to the path of spiritual liberation. The monks read out those teachings of the Buddha that talk about the importance of practising compassion and kindness. Meanwhile, the body is made ready for the final rites. Friends and family members often place some money in the casket of the dead person. This is done to pay for the deceased’s journey across the mythical River of Three Hells.
Then the friends and relatives pay their last respects to the dead person as the casket is placed at the altar. Visitors are required to pray for the deceased and the family and friends offer their condolences. Priests who carry out the rites continue to chant the appropriate sutras. Once the chanting is over, people bow at the altar to pay their final regards. As the visitors start leaving, the family members give a gift to each other to show gratitude for partaking in their sorrow.
The family members can decide upon whether to cremate the body or bury it according to their family beliefs, once all these essential rituals are completed. The different ceremonies are a way of bringing peace and acceptance to the family members of the departed as they know their prayers are directed towards elevating the status of the departed in his life after death.
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Tags: Buddhist funeral, Business, casket, funeral directors, funeral services, undertakers
Posted in Business · November 17th, 2009 · Comments (0)