Many people in the UK evade the subject of funeral arrangements mostly because the subject of death is often distasteful. However, making advanced arrangements for your funeral could have significant benefits for you and your family. Many people would not want to leave the burden of arranging their funerals to their loved ones as the grief of losing anyone is stressful enough. You can get to plan for your funeral in the UK with a pre-planned and paid funeral service so you could say goodbye properly.
Traditional Funerals
Faith-based funerals are still the most common form of funeral service held in Britain. A Church of England or Roman Catholic funeral ceremony will include eulogies, hymns to bid farewell, and committal before burying or cremation in the churchyard. This is mostly the case because Christianity is the most practised religion in Britain. The rise in the number of people from other religions has led to an increase in the number of such ceremonies while some people are opting to do funerals that acknowledge multiple faiths.
Green and Woodland Funerals
The decrease in burial space has also led to more environmentally forms of funeral practices. The departed are buried in natural burial sites and biodegradable coffins. Woodland funerals sites create habitat for wildlife or preserve natural habitats. The bodies are buried not more than two feet from the coffin to prevent the release of methane as the body decomposes.
Direct Cremation
Direct cremation is rising in popularity in the UK. Cremation can proceed after a ceremony, but some people choose to keep it simple and have a direct cremation. Due to carbon emissions associated with the burning of bodies and mercury emissions due to dental fillings, eco-friendly cremations were developed.
Humanist Ceremony
According to statistics from the Office of National Statistics, in 2016 people with no religious affiliation in Britain rose to 14 million. Many people are not interested in the traditional funerals but want a simple funeral that will have no formalities. Humanist ceremonies do not include religious hymns but focus more on celebrating the life of the deceased.
Life Celebrations
Many funerals often have a sombre mood due to the pain of losing someone. However, for some people, they would like to be celebrated at their funeral for the life they lived or for their contributions to society. In such ceremonies, people wear colourful clothes, remember the life of the loved one and smile to celebrate life.
Memorial Services
These funeral services are for people who have lost their lives, but their bodies have not been found or retrieved. This is the case mostly with soldiers who lost their lives in battle or victims of fires, plane crashes or accidents at sea.
Planning for your funeral is reassuring to you and your family as it gives them security and peace of mind when the time comes. Arranging for how you say your final farewell also assures you that you will have a decent funeral service.