Funeral
Funeral
A funeral is a ceremony held with the body of a person who has died present. It provides an opportunity for family, friends and community to acknowledge the death, honour the person’s life and say goodbye before the body is buried or cremated.
The body is present. The defining difference between a funeral and a memorial is that, at a funeral, the coffin or casket containing the person who has died is present where the ceremony takes place.
Before burial. A funeral may take place at a cemetery, chapel, church, funeral home, graveside or another appropriate location, followed by the burial of the coffin or casket.
Before cremation. A funeral can also take place before cremation. The coffin or casket may be taken to a crematorium after the funeral, or the funeral itself may take place at a crematorium, such as in a chapel or other ceremony space. After the funeral, the coffin or casket is taken for cremation.
A funeral is not defined by where it happens. A funeral can be religious or secular, formal or informal, large or private. What makes it a funeral is that the person who has died is present in their coffin or casket.
A memorial is different. A Memorial is a ceremony or gathering held without the coffin or casket being present. A memorial may take place before or after burial or cremation. The person who has died does not need to be physically present for the gathering to be a meaningful farewell.
A way of marking death. A funeral gives people a deliberate opportunity to stop, gather and recognise that someone has died. It can include music, readings, photographs, stories, religious or cultural rituals, personal objects and participation by family and friends.
Ultimately, a funeral is a farewell held with the person who has died present. How that farewell looks and feels is up to the people who gather.