Have you ever thought of building your own coffin? Perhaps not, but please watch this delightful 3-minute documentary (and musical!) about a club of seniors in New Zealand who have fun building their own low-cost coffins:
“The Coffin Club” : loadingdocs.net/thecoffinclub/
Two different friends in western Massachusetts forwarded that link to me this week [2017]. The first wrote, “Don’t miss this gem from New Zealand,” but I was busy and didn’t look. The second wrote, “I was so delighted by the Coffin Club, that I am ready to begin building my own. I’m working on designs!” Her comment convinced me to open the link, watch the short video, and read the filmmakers’ comments.
The Director wrote, “I’ve always been a little afraid of ageing and I’ve often felt nervous and uncomfortable at funerals, so when I heard about the Kiwi Coffin Club I was immediately intrigued and wanted to meet the people behind it. … Based in small town New Zealand, with over 60 active members, this group of inspirational elderly meet once a week to rejoice in life while facing the realities of death.”
To learn more about the Coffin Clubs, which have spread to other locations, follow this link: https://www.coffinclubs.co.nz/rotorua
I hope you enjoy the IDEA of this creativity, even if you don’t wish to build a coffin yourself. Years ago I read Ernest Morgan’s book Dealing Creatively with Death: A Manual of Death Education and Simple Burial (14th edition, revised and updated, Upper Access Publishing, 2001) and noted handy instructions in Appendix 5 for building plywood Burial Boxes. I’ve retained that book on my reference shelf because I like the simple design, clear instructions, and encouraging words, “Anyone modestly experienced with tools can assemble the boxes.” Good to know.
