Understanding the Difference Between Celebration of Life and A Funeral

It is an ordinary thing for people to celebrate life. The celebration of life happens months or years after the death of a family member. It is a joyful event that is different from what you can see at a funeral. If celebrating life can be very exciting and joyful, celebrating a funeral is the other way around. Though the two involved ceremonies, the emotions felt by people around are far different. It is easy to accept a new life but it is hard to let go of someone you love. Death is something inevitable which means everyone will pass through this phase no matter how much you want to live and have more time with your family.

How People Celebrate a Funeral?

A funeral is a tradition that people do to honor their departed loved ones. This can be a simple way for you to show your respect and thank the departed for all the time that you have spent with each other when he is still alive. It sometimes requires careful planning if you want to make the moment solemn and meaningful. At a funeral, there are three activities included in the ceremony.

• Visitation – Visitation is the moment wherein people visit the funeral home or home of the family. They can take a look at the casket of the departed to give respect.
• Funeral Service – This activity is done inside the church or funeral home led by a funeral director or a pastor. There is an invocation, singing of hymns, reading scriptures, Bible recitations, and prayers.
• Committal Service – This activity happens in a cemetery. A procession takes place while you see people walking slowly until they reach the cemetery. It ends right after prayers were said and the casket of the departed had placed under the ground.

If you want to make the funeral unique while keeping it solemn then here are some ideas that you can consider.

• When personalizing a funeral, one great idea that you should try is creating a memory table. You can place the items that the deceased usually makes use of when he is still alive.
• Sympathy Flowers will always be a part of a funeral service. It is then perfect for you to get the favorite flower of the deceased for the funeral.
• Place a quote board in the funeral venue. You can write down the favorite quote of the deceased or you can share quotes to express your feelings.
• You can also display photos of the deceased. You can make use of balloons where the pictures are hanged. You can also place the photos in a wreath.

How People Celebrate Life?

It is true that everyone should be prepared for the time of their death. This can be easier said than done especially when it comes to what the family of the deceased could possibly feel. However, some people prefer to remember the joyful memories when the departed was still alive instead of grieving. It is definitely hard to let go of someone you love however you can’t do anything if death has taken the life of your loved one. In celebration of life, people plan a party like going out of town, swimming, and other exciting activities.

The celebration of life is not traditional which means the attire is not a big issue. You can wear the clothes you want that will depend on your destination. However, it is advisable that you wear something casual. Flowers are also involved in this celebration and you can have a bouquet of the flowers that the departed loves. If ever that you don’t have any idea about the celebration of life then here are some suggestions for you to consider.

• Ask people about the experiences that they have had with the deceased.
• Allow them to share stories or funny moments they have with the departed.
• It is also exciting to release butterflies showing that the deceased was released from his illness.
• Create a memory book to let everyone present an item that they can connect to the personality of the deceased.
• Play a slide show or a video that will show the life of the deceased.
• Create a list of songs that the departed loves to play while he is still alive.
• Candle-lighting can also be an ideal activity to celebrate life.

Some people would want to keep the memory of the departed alive even years pass by. There are many ways on how you can keep these memories alive such as the following.

• Offer a scholarship to the needy individuals under the name of the deceased.
• You can conduct a run, ride, or a walk to honor the departed.
• Ask for donations from other people that you will give to the poor.

A celebration of life is something that could uplift the emotions that the family of the deceased feel. Though losing a loved one makes them feel deserted, it is best for them to accept what had happened because they can no longer change a thing. Your departed loved one would never want to see you grieving for months. The fact that you have already prepared a decent funeral for the deceased is enough to show your respect and honor his life. You have to continue life because there are still lots of things for you to deal with like your family.