How important is a Ritual in Funerals?

There are a number of times in your life where difficult circumstances and situations can hamper your normal flow of activities. An example of these situations is the death of a family member.

When somebody dies in the family, there is a clear disruption on how you think and how you perform daily duties knowing that a member of the family is gone. It often takes months for many people to get over death, but with the help of a ritual or tradition such as funeral services, there will be a smooth transition between the immediate death of a person, to the time when the family would have to live without him or her.

• A ritual is important in funerals because it provides the family a familiar sequence that they can fall back to. The death of a family member can definitely shock all of the rest of the family. Even though people will eventually die, losing someone and experiencing it firsthand will instantly bring about changes in the family dynamic. The familiarity of a ritual in the funeral can help in the actual healing process of the family members.

• Following a ritual during the memorial service can provide the family with a sense of security because they believe that their longtime family tradition can help the soul of their deceased member to rest in peace. Prayers and well wishes can be shared between families and friends to be offered to their loved one.

• The rituals followed during memorial services can show the grieving family that other also people respect the deceased and they value him or her a lot by abiding through proper etiquette. Adorning the caskets with flowers and offering help will be observed during the service. Following a family ritual during these events does not mean that you cannot personalize the service too. There are certain ways on how you can improvise and personalize without compromising the tradition.