4 Parts of Traditional Funeral Services | Colonial Funeral Home (2023)

FAQs

What are the 4 purposes of the funeral? ›

The Purpose of a Funeral Service

Funerals allow us to say goodbye. Funerals offer continuity and hope for the living. Funerals provide a support system for us, friends, family members and the community. Funerals allow us to reflect on the meaning of life and death.

“Traditional” Full-service Funeral

This type of funeral, often referred to by funeral providers as a "traditional" funeral, usually includes a viewing or visitation and formal funeral service, use of a hearse to transport the body to the funeral site and cemetery, and burial, entombment, or cremation of the remains.

Blessings/Prayers - guests join a specific speaker in prayer. Eulogy - a loved one gives a speech about the person who's died. Committal - guests say their goodbyes to the person who's died, before they reach their final resting place. Closing music - hymns (or other music) play as guests leave the venue.

A traditional funeral service typically has four components. They are the visitation, funeral ceremony, committal service, and a funeral reception. The family may decide to have more than one visitation at different times or just one.

The Vigil, Funeral Mass and the Committal. Through these sacred and solemn Catholic Rites, the family and friends of the deceased are reminded of the companionship and support of Christ and all believers.

A funeral program is often a folded document, much like a greeting card. In this style, the cover includes a large image of the deceased, their name and life and death dates. The inside pages are for the obituary and the order of events for the service.

Traditional funerals include a service, often held in a church, the funeral home, crematorium, or at the burial site. There may be verses or poetry read, songs sung, and someone – an officiant or perhaps a religious official – will say a few words.

Expect service to last between half an hour to one hour; longer for public figures, or if there are lengthy readings or speeches. A clergy member or other officiant presides over the funeral service, and a printed program is generally provided to guests.

Eulogy/Remembrance

Fourth, the eulogy may be the single most important aspect of a funeral service. It is the time to acknowledge and affirm the significance of the life lived. With that in mind, take time to share treasured memories, quotes, or even the lost loved one's favorite jokes.

How many elements are commonly used in funeral service? ›

To help grieving families, Dr. Alan Wolfelt, a nationally respected grief author and educator, has identified 7 elements that create a meaningful and healing funeral or memorial service: music, readings, viewing/visitation, eulogy, symbols, gathering, and actions.

4) Funeral Reception

It offers the family a chance to thank guests for attending, and for everyone to share memories and provide support to each other. The funeral service is the largest and arguably the most important component that we mentioned above.

The service is designed to honour the life of the deceased and commend their soul to God, but also to provide support to the bereaved. The funeral rite also allows the deceased to be treated with respect and shows that everyone is special to God.

What is a Wake? A wake, also known as a viewing, visitation or gathering, typically occurs before the funeral takes place. An urn or a casket is typically present, and the casket may be opened or closed.

Separate from a memorial service, a funeral reception is a special event for family members and friends to honor the deceased without a formalized structure. The gathering after a funeral usually has food and drinks and serves as a venue to offer one's condolences to the family. This is also commonly known as a repast.

Historically, funerals had to take place after just a matter of days, because of decomposition. With today's preservation methods, families have a bit more time to prepare and get affairs in order. This helps families make arrangements, and to pick a day to hold the funeral.

The first part is the Vigil service, which takes place at the wake. Next is the Funeral Mass, which is the traditional funeral ceremony. Finally, there is the Rite of Committal. Reciting the Rosary, or a set of prayers, is a tradition that's performed at the wake.

When properly stored and cooled, a body can be kept for up to six weeks at the funeral home, so you'll have plenty of flexibility when planning your memorial service. Cremation has become an increasingly popular option for people around the country. In fact, more bodies are now cremated than buried.

There is no hard and fast rule as to who should give the eulogy speech at a funeral. It's typically given by those who were particularly close, or had a special relationship with, the loved one who passed. It could be a best friend, a spouse, a child or grandchild, or even a co-worker.

The head is commonly turned to the left in a casket to ensure the body looks more comfortable and peaceful, while also allowing mourners a better view of the deceased's face. Occasionally, the head is also turned to the left for reasons related to Christian traditionalism.

What's the hardest part of a funeral? ›

Typically, embalming fluid contains a mixture of formaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, methanol, and other solvents.

A funeral service follows the viewing/visitation and is held at a funeral home, church, or other event space. Traditional funerals usually include elements such as prayers, eulogies, readings, and music. Afterwards, the body is transported by procession to the cemetery/burial location and interred in the grave.

One of the most important reasons to go to a funeral is to pay your respects. Being there shows that you want to support the family and help say a meaningful goodbye. At the same time, it allows you to honor the deceased and the memories you shared with them.

Funerals underpin a necessary part of grieving as they reinforce the reality that the death has actually happened. We need to allow our grief to surface and a funeral provides a safe and appropriate place to show and share our feelings with others. This sets the foundations for 'good grief' or healthy grieving.

Under the FTC's Funeral Rule, consumers have the right to get a general price list from a funeral provider when they ask about funeral arrangements. They also have the right to choose the funeral goods and services they want (with some exceptions), and funeral providers must state this right on the general price list.

A living funeral is a celebration for someone who's alive and able to attend the event. It's a celebration of life with the opportunity to say final goodbyes, offering everyone a chance to leave nothing unsaid and to find a sense of closure.

Even if people believe that the open casket helps the mourners to accept death and say their final goodbye to the deceased, studies are proving wrong. A closed casket gives the mourners a sense of finality, easing out the acceptance of death.

A Closed Casket Funeral Preserves Final Memories

Many people choose to have a closed casket in order to preserve their final memory of the deceased. Closed caskets are also better for anyone who passed away from an accident that caused changes to their appearance.

In general, if you're on good terms with your ex-spouse and ex-family, you should attend the funeral. You were a big part of your spouse's life at one time. Even if you've gone separate ways, those memories and feelings are still very real. If you were on good terms, you'll likely be welcome to any funeral events.

What are the do's and don'ts of a funeral? ›

Funeral flowers are white for a number of reasons. First, white is traditionally associated with purity and innocence. This makes it an ideal color to symbolize the life of a young person or child who has passed away.

During the last funeral rites, an heir is installed to take over the responsibilities of their dead relative. The heir is always advised to emulate the good works of the person he or she has succeeded. They are normally advised to be courageous, hardworking, social and hospitable to all, among other things.

Once a funeral home has picked up the body and brought it to their facility, they will then clean and dress and/or shroud the body. Afterward, the body will be placed in refrigeration to keep it cool until the day of burial, at which point the body will be transported to the burial site.

When properly stored and cooled, a body can be kept for up to six weeks at the funeral home, so you'll have plenty of flexibility when planning your memorial service. Cremation has become an increasingly popular option for people around the country. In fact, more bodies are now cremated than buried.

You need not stay long; fifteen minutes gives you enough time to express your sympathy and offer your support. Of course, if the bereaved indicates they would like you to remain for a while, take your cue from them and stay longer. Use your own judgment.