What Are The Different Types Of Funerals?

There are several steps to follow when preparing a burial. Before a burial can take place, you must complete certain paperwork. This includes the ‘certificate for burial’ and a ‘green form’. You can obtain these when you register the death of a loved one.

If you wish to purchase a new grave or re-open an existing plot, you must sign an application form. This can be obtained from your local council or cemetery. The exclusive right of burial is normally purchased for a period of 75 years. The burial plot will have certain conditions attached to it depending on the type of grave. Your local Funeral Director will help check local regulations and availability. If you or your family already own the Exclusive Rights of Burial for a grave, you can produce either the Deed of Exclusive Rights of Burial or evidence that you own the Burial Rights. Arrangements can then be made for an interment to take place.

If a an inquest took place, an order for burial (form 101) will be issued instead of the green form. In Scotland, the pathologist will provide the death certificate if a post-mortem is held. Only then can the funeral can take place.

Prior to the burial a hearse will take the coffin to the the cemetery. Depending on the beliefs of the deceased, a burial service can be religious or non-religious. Some burials begin with a separate funeral service, which can be held at a chosen location.

What Happens At A Burial?

Wherever the burial is, whether a churchyard, cemetery or woodland burial site, the burial plot will have been prepared in advance. After a service, the coffin is lowered into the ground. Mourners are invited to attend and short readings and prayers may take place depending on religious beliefs. It is often custom to scatter soil onto the coffin after it has been lowered, while others may choose to throw flowers into the grave.

Burial Plots

Local regulations and availability will guide you on choosing a burial plot. You may have a family plot that can be reopened. If this is the case, the deeds and relevant paperwork must be available so plans can be made. Your funeral provider can help with this.

Multiple plots can be purchased so families can be kept together after passing. Speak to the local authorities about their specific rules and regulations if this is something you are interested in. There may be a charge for exclusive right of burial, which means no further burials can take place in that grave. It is sometimes necessary to purchase this if you want to put up a memorial.

There are many faiths, beliefs and cultural practices that form an integral part of the lives of many people. When it comes to big life events like the loss of a loved one, these beliefs and practices become more significant.

A person’s cultural, social and religious background must considered when planning their send off. An informed understanding of the varying beliefs and values of individuals is essential.

Here is a breakdown of the kinds of religious funeral service you might be thinking about.

Church of England Service

One of the oldest and most frequently followed funeral traditions in the UK is a Church of England service. These services will involve blessings, hymns, readings and prayers to honour a person’s passing into eternal life. The Church of England’s overarching message is one of hope and although there will always be the sadness of loss, a Church of England funeral will portray a message of hope in life after death.

Church of England funerals can be personalised; you can choose the hymns, readings, and the words that are spoken. You can arrange to have a Church of England funeral at a crematorium or another place of worship. It can be decorated with flowers or in a more personalised manner to reflect the life of the deceased. Most elements of the day can be tailored so you have the funeral you want.

Catholic Funeral

It is the belief of the Catholic religion that death is the passing from the physical world to the afterlife, be it Heaven, Hell, or Purgatory.

There are commonly three rituals involved in Catholic funerals: a vigil / wake, a mass, and the burial.

The Vigil

The vigil or wake is a gathering where those close to the deceased pay their respects and remember the dead. It is usually held in a funeral home or parish church, although it can also take place at a person’s home. A priest may be there and and lead a group prayer, or people can pray alone. The casket is usually present and can be displayed open or closed and may contain flowers, candles, crucifix. Personal items and photographs may also be displayed.

Mass

The body is received at church and final committal or concluding rites are performed. A requiem mass or similar Catholic mass is held.
Mass cannot be held the following days:

• Holy Thursday (the Thursday before Easter)
• Good Friday (the Friday before Easter)
• Holy Saturday (the Saturday before Easter)
• Easter Sunday
• Sundays during Advent (the period starting on the fourth Sunday before 25 December through to 25 December)
• Lent (the 40-day period before Easter)
• Easter Season (the 50-day period after Easter)

A Funeral Mass can be held on Ash Wednesday but ashes can not be distributed in the church.

Jewish Funeral

Jewish communities have their own funeral traditions, some of which are dictated by tradition and local laws. Typical practices include,

• Location – This can be at the synagogue, funeral home or graveside
• When – Traditionally within 24 hours but commonly within 2 days. It cannot be held on Shabbat or Jewish holidays
• Avelim – Official mourners that have specific roles and are usually close family members
• Nichum Avelim – Comforting mourners is one of the most important acts undertaken
• Casket – Tradition states the casket should be simple and biodegradable. Kosher caskets are made entirely from wood. Open caskets are not permitted
• Order Of Service – There is an expected order of service by the Rabbi at the service and graveside
• Shiva – Shiva is observed at the end of the service at the house of mourning

Islamic Funeral

Muslim funeral arrangements usually begin immediately after death. Burial must occur as soon as possible. Families will usually contact a local Islamic organisation to help plan the funeral.

Islamic funerals usually follow fairly specific traditions, subject to regional interpretation and variations. Islamic religious law calls for the burial of the body, preceded by a simple ritual of bathing and shrouding the body, followed by salah (prayer). Cremation of the body is forbidden.

Funeral preparation consists of two rituals: Ghusl and Kafan.
Ghusl involves close family members, of the same sex as the deceased, washing the body; usually three times.
The Kafan involves the covering and wrapping with large simple sheets, specific to certain customs. The person is placed on top of the sheets and wrapped in the material and secured with rope before being transported to the mosque.
Funeral prayers, called ‘Salat al-Janazah’, are performed by all members of the community. This takes place in a prayer room or study room, or the courtyard; not the mosque. Prayers are made facing the “qiblah”, towards Mecca, with the closest male relative in the first line, followed by men, then children, then women.

The funeral service is led by an imam, and usually lasts from 30 to 60 minutes. Besides funeral prayers, the service can include several readings from the Quran.

Traditionally, only men are allowed to be present at the burial, though sometimes women will be at the gravesite. The grave is dug perpendicular to the qiblah, and the body is placed on its right side, facing the qiblah. Those placing the body into the grave recite the line “Bismilllah wa ala millati rasulilllah” – “In the name of Allah and in the faith of the Messenger of Allah”.

Once the body is in the grave, a layer of wood or stones is placed on top of the body to prevent direct contact between the body and the soil. Each mourner present will place three handfuls of soil into the grave. Once the grave has been filled, a marker may be placed at the grave so that it is recognisable.

Hindu Funeral

Hinduism teaches that the essence of the soul is divine and the purpose of life is to become aware of that divine essence.
When a person dies, the individual soul, having no beginning or end, may pass to another life through reincarnation, depending on karma. If the soul has realised the true essence of reality, it may become one with the Brahman, the “One.”

A traditional Hindu funeral comprises of several rituals, including:
A lamp is placed near the head of the person passed.
Prayers and hymns are sung
Pindas (rice balls) are placed in the coffin
Water is sprinkled on the body
A ‘mala’, a necklace of wooden beads – is put around the dead person’s neck and sometimes garlands of flowers.
Hindus generally have an open casket and a priest/“karta” will preside over proceedings. Hymns and mantras are recited and offerings are made to ancestors and gods.
Hindus may opt for cremation as they believe it helps the soul to escape the body quickly. Afterwards, the deceased’s ashes are scattered onto water. Sometimes people take ashes to India and scatter on the waters of the Ganga.

Buddhist Funeral

Buddhists believe in reincarnation; that actions in life reflect how you return in your next life. Death is a transition from one life to another. Upon passing, the body must not be moved or touched as the soul is not believed to leave the body straight away.The body must be completely cold before it is prepared. This involves washing and dressing in simple clothes.

There is no one way to hold a Buddhist funeral. Those who know the deceased will normally provide and idea of what a suitable funeral will consist of. They will suggest an appropriate teacher or friend to conduct a service. There are several Buddhist traditions and a funeral will vary depending on which one the deceased followed.

Buddhist funeral customs may be conducted by monks and rituals may be performed by family and mourners. At a traditional Buddhist funeral, the family of the deceased will wear white or cover their clothing with a traditional white cloth, with a headband or armband.

Buddhists are often cremated but not always. Some Buddhist traditions stipulate a wait of at least four days between death and cremation to allow the soul to move on undisturbed. At the funeral, family members may walk behind the hearse and send good thoughts to the family and contemplate the impermanence of life.