Since the beginning of time people have used many different, varied ways of farewelling their dead. Almost all these customs and rituals pay tribute to the deceased and celebrate, in one way or other, their life.
The funeral is the final opportunity for family and friends to publicly express their love for the deceased and to mourn their death. It is the first important step towards working through grief and adjusting to life without the deceased. It is a chance to acknowledge the death, and celebrate the life of the deceased. It allows those who, through their life, have had contact with the deceased, acknowledge their life and death, and support the family. It also reaffirms a families relationships, while acknowledging the death and loss.
Funerals assure a legal, reverent and hygienic burial or cremation and should be arranged carefully, with sensitivity, to express the feelings and fulfil the needs of those attending.
