Types of Funeral Services Available In Australia

Even the thought of arranging a funeral event for a loved one can fill anybody with stress. But this also remains as a bitter fact that death is foreseeable and one has to remain strong enough to face this loss and bid farewell to the deceased with a grand funeral event.

In Australia, different kinds of funerals are available and in all of them, the funeral director holding expertise in Christian funerals chosen by you will help right from the beginning to the end. Knowing about the types will help you decide which one to go with and which one fits inside your budget comfortably.

Traditional Funeral-

• This is also given the name of “full funeral” and according to the experts; this event begins with a funeral ceremony held in a church or chapel.
• This main ceremony is followed by burial or cremation (as opted by the deceased or decided by the family of the deceased) at a pre-booked cemetery plot.
• Here the funeral directors are given the responsibility of delivering professional, flawless service and make it easier to say “goodbye”.

Direct Burial–

• Experts specialising in Christian funeral service outline say that as compared to the traditional funeral, this is a rather affordable option.
• The reason is that in this kind of event, no funeral ceremony is arranged and the body is directly buried.
• In this kind of event, the family members only have to pay for transporting the body and burying or cremating it.

Cremation–

• This method has become immensely popular in the past one decade because it is a less time and money consuming option.
• In this kind of event, the body of the deceased is disposed by burning into ashes.
• This can also be made a part of funeral services, but this will become an expensive option as compared to direct cremation that is very similar to direct burial and hence, affordable as well.

HOW DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHRISTIAN FUNERALS ARE CARRIED OUT?

Important events of life, the birth, the wedding and the death, all are very auspicious in all religions and cultures and people from all sects and cultures take them personally.

The same is the situation with Christians and in this post, we will discuss Christian funerals and how they differ from funeral services offered in other religions and sects, to understand this in a better manner, we have to first understand that Christian religion has two parts, i.e. the catholic and the protestants.

So in this post, we will try and understand both these groups and their traditions related to Christian funerals.

Catholic Funerals:

• According to reputed Christian funerals service provider in Penrith, the type of event of a catholic funeral could be anything from a casual to a formal event.
• In this event, you will observe that the mass is generally organised before burial and friends and family are welcomed and encouraged to come.
• During this event of “Mass”, the priest will chant some hymns from their sacred books and the loved ones will light candles, and the congregation will pray together.
• Then, its food time, where the family of the deceased arranges food for all the guests either at the home or at the funeral home.
• In most cases, graveside services are very common and there is nothing objectionable in following along with the funeral procession from the funeral home to the graveside.
• This is generally done to show support for the family and respect to the deceased.

Protestant Funerals:

• Those who are not Catholics are called Protestants and this could include a number of beliefs like Baptists, Methodists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Church of God, and many others.
• The essence of funeral services are almost the same in all of them, but one thing that differentiates them from each other is the formality of the services.
• You will find some of them staying very strict towards the outlined rules, while some are found performing the formalities in a free manner.
• For example – Any suit or dress appropriate for church services will be suitable funeral attire.
• During the service, which usually lasts between 30 minutes and one hour, the minister will read scriptures and lead the congregation in prayer.

Dress Codes Related Dos and Don’ts for Christian Cremations and Funerals

As you decide to visit a funeral ceremony or attend a Christian cremation, ideally, your attempt should be to stay as conservative as possible. Therefore, the best solution is to stay with the basics and wear black dress to show respect to the deceased as well as the event. This means that you should entirely avoid any bright colours, flashy prints, and glittery fabrics. But this is only the basic information and there are a number of dos and don’ts to follow regarding these events. Here in this post, we take a look at some do’s and don’ts regarding what to wear during Christian cremations and funerals.

What to Wear to a Funeral: Dos and Don’ts

DO:

• While visiting Christian cemeteries, you need to consider where and when the service is to be held.
• For example – a memorial service at a beach will be more casual than a service at a place of worship.

Use Common Sense:

• When you are visiting the funeral ceremony of someone whom you know to be quite formal, it’s beneficial to get attire that is more conservative.

Ask for Advice

• If you are kind of confused because no dress cede has been recommended, you should not hesitate from asking an immediate family member of the deceased about the dress code.
• This very information can also be fetched from a funeral director or the officials of the chosen Christian cemeteries.
• There are cases that the deceased had some specific requirements and this information could be shared only a family member or the appointed funeral director.
• For example, someone with a hearty sense of humour may have specified in his or her funeral plan that they would like everyone to wear green.

What Not To Wear To a Funeral or a Christian Cremation?

DON’TS:

• Don’t pick this time to be a rebel
• Never under dress and step away from the flip flops!
• Don’t forget why you are there and show respect to the deceased

Some Etiquette That You Should Know About Funerals and Christian Cremations

Visiting Christian cemeteries for cremations and funerals is a serious affair and something that you should never take seriously. There are a number of etiquette’s to follow and at the same time, it has to be ensured that nobody’s sentiments are jolted by your actions. To make sure that no offence is done, it is important for you to read this post that has some tips and etiquette’s to follow.

What to Wear?

• According to the experts, whether they are funerals or Christian cremations, the best option in terms of colour is black or something dark.
• This could include a number of other shades as well like blues, greys, browns, etc., but at the same time, you have to be dressed really simply and conservatively.
• As a man, you should ideally flaunt a jacket and a tie paired with dress shoes.
• But if you are a woman, your best options are a simple dress or just a simple suit and the jewellery should be really simple and minimum too.

What to Say?

• Some people don’t really find the right words to show their sympathy to the breed family or it is simply not getting the right feel or mood to express their grief over this loss.
• This is a very common and a serious problem and therefore, we have tried to address it here and experts from Christian cemeteries say that to begin, offer your condolences to the family.
• However, if you are comfortable, share a memory of the deceased that you have in your mind.

What Not to Say?

• The bigger question is what not to say at funerals or Christian cremations and the answer is really simple that you should not speak anything that could hurt the family or increase their pain.
• Condolences are alright, but you should stop yourself from saying that the passing away was good because the deceased was so much in pain or he/she was suffering from an incurable disease.