Rituals and Services
There are many types of services and rituals used to honor the deceased and comfort the bereaved. The range of options is very wide. Here are recommended steps for planning a memorial service:
- Choose your style (formal vs. informal; small and intimate vs. open to large community; consider wishes of the deceased)
- Decide type of venue (church, temple, mosque, funeral home, private home, public meeting space, outdoor location)
- Choose who will officiate or speak at the event (clergy, secular celebrant or family member(s); designate one person to coordinate)
- Finalize the date, time
- Invite the guests
- Arrange the details (program, spoken words, music)
Resources for Inspiration
- BOOKS:
- A Good Goodbye: Funeral Planning for Those Who Don’t Plan to Die, by Gail Rubin (2010). See Chapter 7, pp. 117-138: Amazing Grace: Religious customs for death.
- Dealing Creatively with Death: A Manual of Death Education and Simple Burial, by Earnest Morgan (14th revised ed., 2001). See Appendix 7, pp 123-143: Sample Death Ceremonies.
- Hail and Farewell: Cremation Ceremonies, Templates and Tips, by Gail Rubin and Fraser Susan (2015).
- WEBSITES:
- The Cake Library. Funeral and Memorial Services. Good variety of sample ceremonies.
- The Inspired Funeral. Sample Ceremonies. Links to programs for 12 different sample ceremonies.
- African American Mourning Practices and Burial Traditions, by Dr. Kami Fletcher Seven elements of African American traditions and customs.