Saturday, January 23, 2010

How To Go About Preparation Of A Funeral Service

By Ricky Silva

One of the certainties of our being is death. All of us have to confront it and is yet not ready for it. Holding a service in memory of the dead is one of the oldest customs that has undergone tremendous changes. Conventionally, the funeral service took place at the church with singing of solemn hymns and a speech. However, as more people people are looking forward to personalized funeral services, the practice has witnessed a change over the last few decades.

Preparing for a funeral could be a very painful and hard job, especially right after the death of a relative or someone close. A common myth that a funeral service is a legal necessity is far from truth as no law makes it compulsory to hold a funeral service. Secondly, a majority of people have an erroneous belief that a service can be conducted only in a church. It is crucial to note that conventionally, such services were conducted in church but nowadays, with significance being given to a personal touch, funeral services are being held more often in homes. Thirdly, such a personalized service does not require use of a casket or even a pastor or clergy to carry out the rituals.

However, keeping in line with the idea of a personal funeral service, a lot of thought should be given to the preferences of the deceased person. The music that will be played at the service must be soothing as well as from the personal choices of the departed. You could choose from a live performance or going with pre recorded music.

Some families opt for putting up the personal things of the dead person in a collage, for the gathering to reflect on his or her life. Another important factor in any funeral service is an address, in the form of a recital, a song or even a speech talking about the deceased.

Finally, it is recommended to present the people gathered for the funeral with some souvenirs that help them keep the memories of the deceased alive for years.

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