The History Of Funerals
The history of funerals is surprisingly long and fascinating. As with any social or cultural practice, the meaning of a funeral has changed over time. Whether you’re looking to pay homage to a certain tradition or are trying to find a way to make something more meaningful, it’s important to understand what went into the creation of today’s funeral.
Origins
Funerary customs are the complex set of beliefs, practices, and monuments that a culture has developed in relation to death. They are as old as human civilization itself, and as varied as the religions and cultures that make up our global community. Early humans and Neanderthals decorated their dead with flowers and antlers, as a way of symbolizing their faith in the afterlife. During a burial ceremony, a remembrance of the deceased was made and the remains were carefully laid to rest in a cave or tomb. The ancient Egyptians were famous for their funeral rites, with mummification and other ceremonies performed by priests to ensure the body would be preserved. They also buried valuables, such as jewelry and food, with the body for use in the afterlife.
Burial
A funeral is a ceremonial observance intended to celebrate the life and achievements of a person. It is also a way of redefining existing social relationships. Burials can be simple, such as a pile of earth or stone, or they can be elaborate and shaped to represent a specific trade or hobby. Burials can involve a lot of preparation, such as embalming and cosmetics. But they can also be simple, as in ancient burials, where the body was left out in the open to allow nature to reclaim it.
Cremation
Cremation is a funerary process wherein all carbon content is removed from the body by exposing it to high temperatures. This reduces the organic material to bone fragments that are then disposed of in an urn or cremation container. There are a number of reasons people choose cremation as a funeral alternative. They include environmental concerns, religious practices, lower cost and family mobility. The practice of cremation has been around for a long time and is most prevalent in Asia and Europe. However, burial is still the preferred method of final disposition in many religions, especially those that consider the soul immortal and don’t depend on a physical body.
Funeral Service
The history of funerals has a long and varied story. Each culture has its own traditions and rituals when it comes to death. Archeological evidence reveals that ancient funerary traditions were already in place tens of thousands of years ago. These included gifts placed alongside the body and some form of grave marker. Early funerals were typically held in private homes with families taking care of the deceased from beginning to end. This custom gradually changed when undertakers began to take over these responsibilities. Today, funerals often are held in funeral homes, religious places of worship, or chapels at the cemetery. These places are usually well-equipped to handle the funeral service and its logistics.
Headstones
Headstones are a key feature of any cemetery, marking the grave of the person buried there. They also provide a focus for mourning and remembrance. They are usually a large upright piece of sculpted stone with inscriptions that include the name, birth date and death date. They may also contain a picture of the deceased, memorial quotes or other art. The design and style of headstones has changed over time, reflecting the changing view of mortality. The death’s head symbol, for example, originated in a Puritanical view of life and death.