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| How Does A Celebration of Life Differ from a Funeral |
There are a number of similarities between a celebration of life and
traditional funeral service.
They are both important aspects of the funeral
process and both help the family and friends of the deceased come to terms with
their loss and cope with their grief. The main difference between the two,
however, is that a funeral service generally includes the body of the deceased
being present, while a celebration of life is more of a wake and doesn’t
usually involve the body being present.
A Celebration of Life
Furthermore, celebrations of life vary depending on social or religious
norms. All celebrations of life involve a gathering of people who personally
knew the deceased, both large and small, and are a way to get together and
remember the good times. Celebrations of life follow, for the most part, a much
more loosely defined script, so to speak, than funerals and are not quite as
steeped in tradition. Funerals proceed with very definite steps to ensure that
everything comes together as it should. They also follow certain traditions and
are seen as solemn affairs. Celebrations of life, on the other hand, are a way
to focus on the life of friend and loved ones, with more personal details and
memories being recounted. This is a time for joyous remembrance of the past and
a lighter mood accompanies these gatherings.
With little formal procedure and process, celebrations of life are much
more laid back and allow for a more easy-going atmosphere. Tradition is usually
not adhered to extremely closely, which allows for much more personalization.
Again, celebrations of life are very much like having a wake, where everyone is
expected to be happy about a good life lived, and not upset about it coming to
an end. These feelings of sadness will always be present, but being thankful
for the time you did spend together is important to acknowledge. Celebrations
of life allow exactly that.
A Traditional Funeral Service
These days, many people opt to have both a funeral and celebration of
life. This allows for a traditional and sombre funeral service, while also
allowing one to lighten the mood afterward. It’s all about bringing everyone
together to remember, with fondness, the better times.
If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to contact us at Jerry Spears Funeral Home.
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