Not Your Grandmom’s Funeral
A growing number of people are specifying the kind of funeral they would like held when they die, and many are choosing nontraditional ways to mark the departure of their loved ones. The funeral industry has responded to this trend by offering a wider range of services. The high cost of traditional funerals and the shortage of cemetery space are two factors behind the phenomenon. Another, more personal reason is the longer life expectancy; people can now expect to live to around 80, and death is increasingly viewed not as an end of life but as the final part of it.
When you think of traditional funerals, you think of an all black, solemn ceremony. It is usually taken place in a church or funeral home, the coffin is carried in on a hearse, and there is a long line of weeping family members who are getting ready to say their final goodbyes. However, nowadays, those types of traditional funerals are an event of the past. Now, many people are choosing the kind of funeral they want while they are still a live, and there are multiple companies that are more than willing to cater to their needs. I took it upon myself to do some further research on the topic of alternative funerals, and I came across a website called thefuneralsource.org. There is a whole page dedicated to alternative funerals, and possible new customers have the choice between New Orleans “Jazz Funeral”, Green funerals, home funerals, and life celebrations. A quote from the website states:
There are many variations on the traditional concept of what a funeral is and should be, many believe that a death is not a time of mourning and sorrow but rather a time for celebration of the deceased life and accomplishments.
This quote perfectly describes the new generation’s view of funerals: rather than mourning the death of a love one, you should celebrate their lives and make their funeral as special as that loved one was. The lessening amount of graveyard space is also a reason why so many people are turning to alternative funerals. In countries like Japan and China where the population rate is at an all time high, the cemetery space is at an all time low. In response to