When most people think about funerals, they usually think about traditional services that are held in either a church or funeral home, with a burial and gathering of family and friends for food afterwards. Many people these days aren’t so traditional, though. These individuals feel that funerals should be a celebration of a person’s life instead of a time to merely pay respects to the deceased person or mourn their death. They want funerals to be fun, if that is at all possible.
These unusual funerals, sometimes referred to as “alternative” can really be quite creative. Many of them may seem more like parties than funerals, which is usually the intention. There have been numerous unique ways to celebrate the life of a special loved one; there are companies that make “coffin” cakes, special urns that when opened, play the song, “How Dry I Am,” as well as many other uncommon funeral-related items.
Another popular way that people choose to memorialize their loved ones is by creating online memorials such as our service, Living Years. Aside from its convenience, there are several advantages to creating a Life Book. First of all, family members and friends are able to visit the website as often and whenever they desire to. Secondly, families can post photos of the deceased on the website, as well as poems, video clips, music, and anything else that they would like to have included. For more information on creating a free Life Book, visit Living Years here.
These days, people don’t want pricey funerals, so many opt for simple memorials, instead. Many also desire to have their remains dispersed in some unusual manner rather than placed in an urn and displayed on someone’s fireplace mantel. This is usually decided by the deceased, prior to death, or possibly even the family.
For instance, Gene Rodenberry, creator of the hit TV show Star Trek, requested that a portion of his ashes be blasted into space.
Additionally, and even more shocking, is the fact that one deceased man’s cremated remains were used to create an egg timer, which most people find utterly unbelievable.
Some deceased individuals make advance arrangements to have a specific theme at their funerals. More and more funeral homes are catering to these requests because these types of personalized funerals often bring great comfort to the family and friends-and surprisingly, usually a lower cost than conventional funeral services.
Traditional funerals will of course, always remain the norm for a majority of people, but for anyone who desires an “alternative” afterlife celebration for their loved ones to “enjoy” rather than dread, there are numerous possible choices to choose from. And if the theme or idea that a person has isn’t available at the alternative funeral home of their choice, most funeral home directors are willing to cater to almost any request.
It doesn’t matter if a wife wishes to have her deceased husband’s remains placed inside her diamond ring or a family chooses to hire jazz performers at their loved one’s funeral, if it makes the family happy, nearly anything is possible.
Thanks to Stacey J. Day for the inspiration.
THIS year, the number of pensioners in the UK exceeded the number of minors for the first time in history. That’s remarkable in its own right, but the real “population explosion” has been among the oldest of the old – the centenarians. In fact, this is the fastest-growing demographic in much of the developed world. In the UK, their numbers have increased by a factor of 60 since the early 20th century. And their ranks are set to swell even further, thanks to the ageing baby-boomer generation: by 2030 there will be about a million worldwide.
Working for Living Years, I am now more attune to the subject of death and how our society goes about grieving, celebrating and remembering their loved ones once they have passed. That’s why I love the idea of a Lifebook, but I digress.
The mothers are also creating poignant memory boxes so that their children can maintain a relationship with them from beyond the grave. They are filling them with photos and mementos to help remind their children of happy times and to help the very youngest have some knowledge of their mother. Some of the mums are also writing letters and notes to their children and one is writing a letter to be read out at her funeral.
Death isn’t always something we always want to face up to but we know that it will certainly come knocking one day. People have been dying for many years now, so what can we unravel from the experience of passing on?
