When someone dies there are
many decisions to be made and usually not a lot of time to make them in. Of all
the life events in which we engage, funerals and memorials are usually not well
researched in advance - and in many cases not even discussed among family
members. We are often left making hasty decisions out of necessity and lump all
of our plans into one big basket called a "funeral."
When a person dies, the
traditional practice is to have some sort of funeral service, either at a
church or at the funeral home. Often times, there is a wake for the
deceased the night before. These traditional services, with black suits,
quiet religious music, and people gathered around a casket or an urn are okay
for some. For others, these traditional,
somber funeral services leave family and friends feeling as if something's
missing. For these people, these traditional
services are heavy, sad, grief-filled and not an accurate reflection of the
life of their loved one.
These days it seems as if
everyone is tossing around the term "celebration of life" as synonym
or a replacement for the word "funeral." Many church's and funeral homes advertise
that they provide celebration of life services; but are they really offering a
celebration of life ceremony, or is it simply a funeral service with a
different name? With the term being used
so frequently and by so many, people often find themselves asking "What
exactly is a celebration of life ceremony?".
A celebration of life ceremony involves
more than just mourning those people that we've lost; it is a celebration of
how grateful we were to have them in our lives. It is a mindset that life should be celebrated. It is a special day when
people who loved a person gather together to celebrate their life,
happily, and remember the person as they were…alive, and vibrant.
To celebrate a person's
life, and the impact that the person had on his or her family and friends,
people should not feel that they must confine themselves, either in selecting
the location for the ceremony or the elements that they would like to
incorporate into the ceremony. Think
of that favorite place you spent with your loved one, about the music and food
that you shared, and imagine all of your friends and family re-living those
same precious memories together.
These services can take place at any
of several indoor or outdoor locations, such as a function hall, a restaurant, a
historic building, an outdoor park, a beach, the ocean, or a person's home. Some people think that in order to have a
celebration of life ceremony, they have to forgo the clergy. In fact, clergy can also be incorporated into
the celebration, although it is important for the clergy to be uplifting during
the ceremony and eliminate the "fire and brimstone" that can be found
in some types of traditional church services.
Food is often served during a
celebration of life service. Families
may want to consider tailoring the food selections to reflect the cultural or
ethnic background of their loved one, or even some of his or her favorite
foods. Music is another important
component with these types of services.
The genre that is played is often that to which the deceased loved to
listen...classical, jazz, big band, rock, county, pop, etc. The music may be provided by a live musicians
or by a DJ, and more than one kind of music genre can be played if
desired.
Flowers, a video tribute, various
types memorial gifts, and various types of release ceremonies (dove, butterfly
or balloon) can also be incorporated into the service. People should also display items that reflect
their loved one's hobbies and interests.
This is a good way to personalize the celebration and also to provide
opportunities for friends and family to remember and talk about the good times
involving their loved one.
These are only some of the many
options that are available when deciding to host a celebration of life
ceremony. There are many
possibilities. Often times, people who
wish to have a celebration of life ceremony for their loved one decide to host
these services within a church or funeral home, only to be told that these
facilities cannot accommodate many of family's wishes. These families are unfortunately restricted
in being able to design an appropriately fitting tribute for their loved one.
For more information on designing or
hosting a celebration of life ceremony, please contact
A
Classic Touch Celebration, Inc.
PO
Box 2312
Methuen,
MA 01844
(978)
289-9225
info@classictouch.info
www.classictouch.info
