Monthly Archives: February 2023

cremation services in Monroeville, PA

What Are Committals?

Committal service is a graveside service in which you commit the body to the ground, or bury the body, but can you have both committal services and cremation services in Monroeville, PA?

Committal services are generally the final goodbye for the family before the deceased is buried. The origin of the phrase “committal” in this context is thought to have been derived from a burial sermon in the Book of Common Prayer that states, “We, therefore, commit this body to the ground, earth to earth, ashes to ashes, dust to dust; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection to eternal life.” As the ritual is usually brief, about 15 to 20 minutes, many families choose to have a committal right after the funeral service, but you can have a committal without a funeral or memorial.

What does all this mean? Yes! You can have a committal service for cremated remains.

Committing your lost loved one to the earth or another burial location is a wonderful way to say goodbye. You can commit the cremated ashes to the ground in a burial urn, or have them inurned in a columbarium niche. In fact, cremation committals often look and feel almost exactly the same as a service for a full body. The urn is often set on a table before the commitment, and some families choose to decorate the table with flowers, photos, and memorabilia. Ready to plan a committal?

Here are tips. First, pick a burial site. Does your family have a plot with other family members? If so, call the office and reserve a plot for the deceased. If not, do some research and choose a cemetery in which you’d like your loved one to be buried. You can often buy a plot directly from the cemetery or from an individual. You also need to connect with the cemetery sexton. The cemetery sexton is the person in charge of running the cemetery’s day-to-day operations.

As such, he will take care of the details for the commitment ceremony like making sure thecremation services in Monroeville, PA grave is dug and prepared, bringing the casket or urn to the grave and placed on a lowering device, and getting the surrounding area ready for the service with chairs and other decorations. Choose a flow for the service. You must find an officiant to run the committal, whether that means your pastor or priest or even a family member, friend, or other loved one. Once you gave an officiant, work with them to choose what you want to service to include, such as readings, prayers, eulogies, or a sermon.

If you don’t want a formal service, that’s ok. You can just have attendees say a few short words about the deceased. Finally, keep an eye on the weather. As committals are usually outdoors, the weather plays a big role. Be sure to plan for heat, snow, rain, or wind.

Do you want to learn more about committals? Call or visit us today if you want more tips on committals or information on Monroeville, PA cremation services.

funeral homes in Monroeville, PA

The Most Bizarre Death Traditions

How are death and services done at funeral homes in Monroeville, PA? What about the rest of the world? While every culture from across the globe might seem very different at first, they each have three aspects in common when it comes to rituals around death: ceremonies, special places for burial or placement, and some sort of memorial or monument. However, some aspects of our culture might seem strange to others just as aspects of other cultures might seem strange to us.

These are just a few traditions from around the world, but they offer inspiration for your own planning and inspire tolerance for those who are different from us. Whether you’re working on a research project, satisfying curiosity, or preparing for your eventual passing or the passing of a loved one, this information on interesting global funeral and cremation traditions is here to help.

In Mexico, The Day of the Dead, or el Día de Los Muertos, is an annual festival in which people set up altars in their homes featuring photos of their deceased ancestors as well as offerings like food, candles, flowers, and drinks. The idea is that the ancestor photos will summon them from the land of the dead so they can enjoy the offerings and visit with their living family members. Sikhs believe in reincarnation. However, most choose to be cremated when they die. Before cremation, the body is washed and dressed in traditional Sikh attire then placed in a casket while those gatherings recite prayers and read scripture from the Guru Granth Sahib. More prayers are recited during the cremation, and afterward, the remains are either buried in scattered water.

The Malagasy tribe of Madagascar has a tradition called “Famadihana,” which means “the turning of the bones.” Every five or seven years, the people of the tribe will remove the bodies of their deceased loved ones from their graves, wrap them in fresh burial clothes, spritz them with fragrance, and even dance with them. This ritual is viewed as a way to reconnect with the dead and ask them for blessings. The Nordic people in Northern Europe are very connected to the sea, even in death. They traditionally set bodies adrift on the sea in coffin boats or lay coffins on cliffs facing the water.

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In the Islamic religion, bodies remain in their caskets until Judgement Day when they will be physically resurrected. Because of this belief, bodies must be buried within twenty-four hours of a death to ensure the body is in the best possible condition. In India, the bereaved traditionally dress the deceased in bright colors that represent their best virtues, such as yellow for knowledge and red for purity, and parade them through the streets. Afterward, they sprinkle the bodies with holy water and cremate them.

We are also here to help if you want more information on global death rituals or Monroeville, PA funeral homes. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss.

cremation service in Penn Township, PA

How to Create a Legacy You Can Be Proud Of

Leaving a legacy can mean two things. First, a legacy can be money or property left to someone in a will. Second, a legacy can also mean the outlook, values, or training that you pass on to other people in your family and beyond. Leaving a legacy might seem overwhelming, but it’s really as simple as living the way you want to be remembered. No matter which type of legacy you’re referring to, it can be said that a legacy is always creating something valuable in your life that can be passed on to others after your death. You can leave one, either, or both kinds of legacies to help people remember and honor you after you’re gone. What will your legacy be after your death and cremation service in Penn Township, PA?

Here are some specific tips for crafting and leaving your legacy. Think about what matters most to you. Where do you spend your time and money? Those are the things you treasure most, and are most likely going to be what you’re remembered for. For example, if you spend most of your time at work, you’ll be remembered as a hard worker. write a legacy statement. Think about what you want to be written on your tombstone. Consider how you want to be remembered, and then live that way.

You can also be your best before you work on others and share memories. It will be pretty hard to pass on some idealistic torch if you don’t live that way yourself. You can write down what you want your legacy to be to help guide your actions. Consider what you’ll be remembered for, what characteristics or skills you want to pass down, what traditions you want your family to continue, and a main belief or worldview you’d like to pass on. Then, plan for how you’ll accomplish what you wrote in your statement.

Work on living your beliefs and ideals. That way, others will be inspired by the example you setcremation service in Penn Township, PA and might then choose to live that way as well. The stories you tell reflect your values and make others smile. Tell stories from your life, your family’s lives, and others you remember to make happy memories, reflect your values, and put smiles on people’s faces. Consider what others want. You might think that spending all your time at work to provide for your family might be what they want, but it also might not be. Perhaps your children or family would rather have more quality time with you than new toys or a fancy car. Take time to understand what would really make others happy and encourage them. If you don’t know, just ask! Finally, why not give your time to the people you care about? Work, hobbies, and social events can make us busy, maybe even too busy to spend time with those we care about most. Show your loved ones that they’re priorities for you by making them priorities in your schedule.

We are here to help if you want more legacy tips or information on Penn Township, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today to learn more.

funeral home in Penn Township, PA

Ideas for Niche Funeral Tributes

Your lost loved one was incredibly unique. How can you commemorate exactly what made your lost loved one so special at the funeral home in Penn Township, PA? Modern families often seek ways to make a service more personalized for the deceased, such as honoring what made the deceased special by celebrating their interests or hobbies.

The service should be just as unique as the person it’s honoring. Take this list of niche tribute ideas as inspiration so you can plan a personalized service to honor and remember your lost loved one. Did your lost loved one like golf? You can easily celebrate golf! If your loved one was a golfer, there are many ways you can include the golfing theme as part of the service, from having the service at the country club and setting out their golf bag as decor to setting up a golf memorabilia table with scorecards, collectibles, photos, and more.

Don’t forget about gardening. Flowers and other plants are always welcome at services, especially if the deceased loved to garden. Celebrate their love of gardening by filling the service with flowers, giving guests seed packets, displaying a casket or an urn with a flower motif, or using a memorial tree urn or casket to bury the remains. Did your lost loved one enjoy boating or being out on the water? Celebrate that interest with boat-themed touches at the service. For example, you can have the service at a beach or dock, or even on a boat. You could also play tracks of ocean waves, display boat models, or display a large piece of sail cloth for attendees to sign or notate memories of the deceased.

There’s also antiquing! Many people get into antiquing as an expression of their love of decorating, the enjoyment of the style of a particular era, or as a fun way to make a little side of money as they discover, fix up, and resell antique furniture and collectibles. If your loved one was into antiques, showcase the hobby at the service by creating an antique scrapbook or decorating the space with some of their favorite pieces. What about photography? From snapsfuneral home in Penn Township, PA on a smartphone to old-school photo shoots, there are many ways to be interested in photography. Similarly, there are many ways to celebrate the life of someone who loved photography, like displaying pictures the deceased took, playing a slideshow of their work, or encouraging attendees to snap photos and share them. Who doesn’t love fishing? If the deceased was a big fishing fan, celebrate that in the service by serving fish at the reception, donating fishing kits to local charities in honor of the deceased, or displaying photos of all their great catches.

We are here to help if you want more information on planning unique services with niche tributes or Penn Township, PA funeral homes. Call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you in your time of loss or preplanning.