About Funeral

Funeral Definition
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 affiliation s within cultures. Funeral rites are as old as the human culture itself. Some place believes an afterlife.


Religious Funerals
1. Jewish Funerals in Israel
At the burial ground
- Commencing and calculating the seven days of mourning

2. Buddhist Funerals
In Buddhism, death marks the transition from this life to the next for the deceased.
Among Buddhists death is regarded as an occasion of major religious significance, both for the deceased and for the survivors. For the deceased it marks the moment when the transition begins to a new mode of existence within the round of rebirths. When death occurs all the karmic forces that the dead person accumulated during the course of his or her lifetime become activated and set about determining the next rebirth. For the living, is a powerful reminder of the Buddha’s teaching on impermanence; it also provides an opportunity to assist the deceased person as he or she fares on to the new existence.
- Death is a time of transitioning to a yet another rebirth

3. Catholic Christian Funerals
In Catholic funerals, the church seeks to provide spiritual support for the deceased and honor their bodies, as well as try to provide a measure of hope for the family and friends of the deceased.

4. Hindu Funerals
- Four stages
1. The rituals and rites to be performed when the person is believed to be on the deathbed
2. Rites that accompany the disposal of the dead body
3. Rites that enable the soul of the dead to transit successfully from the stage of a ghost to the realm of the ancestors
4. Rites performed in honor

5. Islamic Funerals
Burial of the corpse, preceded by a simple ritual involving bating and shrouding the body, followed by prayer. Cremation of body is generally forbidden.
Step 1. Bathing the dead body, except in extraordinary circumstances as in battle of uhud
2. Enshrouding dead body in coffin cloth
3. Funeral prayer
4. Burial of the dead body in a grave
5. Positioning the deceased so that the head is faced towards Makkah

6. Sikh Funerals
Sikhism death is considered a natural process. To a sikh, birth and death are closely associated, because they are both part of the cycle of human life of “coming and going” which is seen as transient stage towards liberation, complete unity with God believe reincarnation.

Non-religious Funerals
- Humanist funerals
It is a religious free service, which is normally carried out by a humanist officiant

Cultural Funerals
1. In Japan
Includes a wake, the cremation of deceased, a burial in a family grave, and a periodic memorial service.
Burial at sea
The cost for a funeral 4 million yen (most expensive in the world)
- Hard to fin e the space especially Tokyo
Funerals are almost Buddhist ceremonies
- 90% Buddhist style
* Cremation – the relatives pick the bones out of the ashes and transfer them to the urn using chopsticks

2. Funerals in contemporary North America
- Traditional Funerals
Within the United States and Canada, in most cultural groups and regions, the funeral rituals can be divided into three parts
Visitation
Funeral
Burial Service

a. Visitation
At the visitation, the body of the deceased person is placed on display in casket taking place on one or two evenings before the funeral (dressed best cloths/in clothing more reflective of how the dressed in life). Attendees are expected to view the deceased’s body in the coffin. Family member may choose to display photos taken of the deceased person during one’s life (show “happy times”) or any items representing owns hobbies and/or accomplishments. Create a DVD or music
- Jewish Funerals never displayed corpse
- Visitation is often held the evening before the day of the funeral
b. Funeral (memorial services)
Take place at either a funeral home or church family’s choosing that may be a few days after the time of death. Casket spray
c. Burial Service
A burial service, conducted at the side of the grave, tomb, mausoleum, or crematorium at which the body of the decedent is buried or cremated at the conclusion

d. Luncheon (a meal)
Private services
Memorial Services

- Other types of funerals
: Jazz funeral
In United States in New Orleans, Louisiana
: Green funeral
Coffin made of cardboard or other easily biodegradable materials
(=Eco-cemetery)
: Internet visitation/funeral
New application

3. Funeral in East Asia
White-symbolic of death
China: Red (forbidden- symbolic of happiness)
Japan: Buddhist rites
East Asian/ Southeast Asian: 3 (word off, bad luck)

4. African Funerals
Music, instruments, and alcohols
After 7 years, they have memorial deceased.
In Ghana “fantasy coffins” that is coloured shaped certain object like airplanes, boats, fishes, or crabs.

5. Ancient funeral rites
The primitive Greeks buried in their own house.
Funeral in ancient Rome
Funerals in Scotland
- Anold Funeral rite from the Scottish Highlands is to bury the deceased with a wooden plate resting on his chest. In the plate were placed a small amount of earth and salt, to represent the future of the deceased.

6. Funerals for Hero
Viking chieftains were placed in ships after their death with tools, weapons.

7. State funeral
A state funeral is a public funeral ceremony held to honour heads of state or other important people of national significance.


More information:
Funeral History