Why is the funeral ritual important?
Rituals are symbolic activities that help us, along with our families, friends and our community, express our deepest thoughts and feelings about life’s most important events.
Baptisms or naming ceremonies, birthdays, weddings and civil union ceremonies all publicly acknowledge a significant event in our lives. Similarly a funeral is a public and symbolic means of expressing our beliefs, thoughts and feelings about the death of someone loved.
The funeral service helps us
- Acknowledge the reality of death
- Gives testimony to the life of the deceased
- Encourages the expressing of grief in a way consistent with a culture’s values
- Provides support to mourners
- Offers continuity and hope for the living