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Common American Cremation Traditions

Historians believe funeral and cremation traditions date as far back as 60,000 BC, but our modern traditions are very different from the ones back then. How have our traditions changed, and what are the most common traditions around death and cremation services in Penn Township, PA?

Here are the most common modern funeral and cremation traditions in America:

Funerals – A traditional funeral usually consists of a viewing or visitation followed by a funeral service that includes readings, prayers, and eulogies and is concluded with the body being buried or entombed. What Americans think most of when they think of funerals is the general somber feeling combined with black attire, religious moments, and burial at a cemetery. However, these days, funerals and other services like memorials can be almost anything.
Viewings and Visitations – A visitation is when the family of the bereaved makes themselves available for other family, friends, coworkers, and anyone who’d like to come so these people can express their condolences for the passing. Similarly, a viewing is when the bereaved can gather to view the body and express condolences. Viewings are often held at the funeral home, but can also be held in other locations.
Reception – Funeral services are traditionally followed by a reception or wake at which the bereaved can receive support and comfort from the funeral attendees. Receptions, help the bereaved’s community get together and honor the family. These gatherings can be held almost anywhere, from banquet halls and restaurants to churches, homes, or even parks. The bereaved generally invite all the funeral attendees, but some open it up to the general public or keep it more intimate with only close family and friends.
Burial – A burial is a form of final disposition in which a body is buried in a hole in the ground. Also known as internment, burial is one of the longest-standing death traditions in the United States. Burial first became popular as a way to keep animals away from a body and to protect the living from the smell of the decaying body. However, it quickly transformed into a way to show respect for the dead and a way for the bereaved to be able to visit the deceased to continue to pay their respects. Interestingly, the “six feet deep” rule is just a myth. There is no nationwide law regarding grave depth, as necessary depth depends on soil type, method of burial, and other factors. The most common depth requirement is 36 inches.

This is far from a comprehensive list of American funeral traditions. Others include pallbearers, open caskets, embalming, sending flowers, funeral processions, wearing black, and more. You are allowed to choose all, some, or none of these traditions to celebrate the life of your lost loved one. We are here to help if you want to learn more about traditions surrounding the death of Penn Township, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today for more information on our services or how we can help in your time of loss or preplanning.

What Should You Wear to a Funeral Home?

Funeral, memorial, and other service attire can be a minefield of differing traditions and opinions, often leaving guests completely unsure of what to wear. You’re not alone if you’re wondering what to wear to a funeral at a funeral home in Penn Township, PA.

However, you don’t have to be unsure anymore. Use this ultimate guide to funeral attire as inspiration for your funeral or memorial outfits. When dressing for a funeral or memorial, you should be aware of some common attire guidelines. For instance, avoid revealing pieces. Shirts and dresses should always cover up to the neck and pants and dresses should go down to the knees.

Many traditions also require shoulders and knees covered as well as headwear such as hats for men and headscarves for women. As for footwear, avoid athletic shoes like sneakers as well as casual shoes like flip-flops. More casual services may allow t-shirts and other informal wear, but always avoid loud prints or big logos and keep a formal jacket on hand just in case. A general rule of thumb is to dress as you would for a job interview or a church service: conservative, clean, and put-together. The traditional colors worn to funerals are an important aspect of funeral attire.

Though not every service calls for dark hues, you will almost always blend in and be appropriately dressed if you stick to the tradition of wearing a black, dark grey, or deep blue. Brown shades, lighter grays, and other earthy colors are acceptable for most funeral services. Be sure to avoid bright colors including yellow, red, pink, orange, and white. You can wear white if it’s part of an accessory or worn underneath dark colors, like a white shirt with a dark jacket.

It’s important to note that different kinds of services have different attire requirements. For example, wakes, viewings, or visitations are muted, somber events and therefore require muted, somber clothing. Expectations for attire can range from highly formal to dressy-casual, so be sure to check the invitation or dress according to what you know about the family. Similarly, it’s important to dress respectfully and conservatively at a funeral to honor the deceased and the bereaved. Stick to tradition, avoid bright colors, and, when in doubt, dress like you would for a job interview. Memorials are more informal events than funerals, but they still require somewhat subdued formal clothing. When in doubt, err on the side of more formal and more traditional with dark colors and conservative cuts. Celebrations of life are unique services in that they are more casual and upbeat. As such, they have fewer expectations and requirements for dress. Celebrations of life can range from lighthearted memorials to parties with dancing, so be sure to check the invitation for guidance on attire. However, it’s safe to assume that a smart-but-casual outfit will be acceptable.

We are here to help if you want more guidance on Penn Township, PA funeral homes, or what to wear to death-related events. Please call or visit us today.

What Can We Learn from Other Countries’ Death Traditions?

Our traditions for death, funerals, and cremation services in North Versailles, PA are not the same as those from around the world, but that doesn’t make these other traditions bad or wrong, just different.

In fact, there’s a lot we can learn from these other traditions! What do you think we can learn from them? How can they inspire you as you preplan for your passing or deal with the loss of a loved one?

Here are some customs around death and loss that are different from ours, but no less meaningful or beautiful. In India, most people believe in rebirth until eventual removal from rebirth into nirvana. To help the deceased escape rebirth and enter nirvana, the bereaved scatter the deceased’s ashes in a holy place, such as Varanasi.

In Germany, cemeteries are almost exclusively operated by churches and the state, which means there aren’t that many available for burial at any given time. That’s why most cemetery plots are rented for twenty to thirty years. At the end of the rental term, the plot is used for another body. In the Philippines, the Tinguian people dress their dead in the finest possible clothes and then sit them up in chairs with lit cigarettes for weeks at a time. In Jewish culture, the dead are not left alone between the time of death and the burial. The Chevra Kadisha is a group of people, usually amassed from the local communities and synagogues, who wash and shroud the bodies and then sit with them until burial. Traditionally, women will sit with deceased women and men with men.

In Kiribati, an island in the Pacific, the local tribes display the cleaned and polished skulls of their loved ones in their homes, but only after the bodies are left out in the house for up to 12 days, buried, and then dug up again for skull removal. Iranian people believe that dead bodies defile everything they touch, including the ground and fire. That’s why some sects raise bodies into the sky on towers for the vultures to pick clean. The believers clean bodies with bull urine and cut off the clothing with tools, and then place them on the Towers of Silence. In aboriginal Australia, the indigenous people believe the spirit of a recently deceased person will go back to the land before it can be reborn into a new human body. After somebody dies, the community holds a smoking ceremony at the deceased’s home in which the attendees use smoke to drive the spirit from the body so it can begin its next journey. Afterward, the body is placed on a platform, covered with leaves, and left to return to the earth in its own time.

These are just a few of the many unique death traditions and rituals people practice around the world. We are here to help if you want to learn more about our rituals and traditions at North Versailles, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today for more information.

What is a Crypt?

Maybe you’ve heard about crypts before or seen them in a scary TV show or mummy movie. But what is a crypt? Do people still use crypts for after-funeral home services in North Versailles, PA? Are there different kinds of crypts? What do they look like?

Crypts aren’t as dark or scary as they seem in the movies. Instead, they are simple, meaningful places to house loved ones who have passed on and have had a service at a funeral home. Per Merriam-Webster, a crypt is, “a chamber (such as a vault) wholly or partly underground, a vault under a main floor of a church, or a chamber in a mausoleum.” Simply put, a crypt is a vault or small space used to house dead bodies, generally on the floor of a church or underground in some capacity.

It’s important to note that crypts and mausoleums are not the same things. Mausoleums are the building that house crypts above ground, while crypts are the small rooms that house caskets. In other words, a mausoleum holds the crypt, and the crypt holds the casket or the body. Interestingly, there are different kinds of crypts, including mausoleum crypts and lawn crypts. While “crypt” refers to chambers underneath churches, it also refers to the chamber inside a mausoleum where the body is stored. Another word for the chamber where the body is stored inside a mausoleum is “mausoleum crypt.” A lawn crypt is an underground or partially underground mausoleum that contains more than one casket, such as several members of one family side by side or above and below.

It’s also important to note that some cemeteries use the term “lawn crypt” to refer to above-ground structures that hold one or more caskets. There are many other different types of crypts. Some of the most common are single crypts that house just one casket, companion for two caskets, and family or Westminster crypts that have enough room for an entire family. Most crypts are dark, dry, and somewhat cold. Single crypts are generally small rectangles just big enough for a casket, while Westminster crypts can be quite large as they need to hold multiple caskets. Usually, one end of the crypt is open to place the casket inside. Modern crypts also often have drains, pipes, and ventilation to prevent bad smells from building up inside the mausoleum.

The world’s first known crypts were used in Italy, Greece, and South Africa to house the bodies of saints, priests, martyrs, and other ancient Christians deemed worthy of entombment within a church as well as religious relics. Perhaps the most famous crypt is the one in St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican. Built-in the 4th century, the crypt in St. Peter’s Basilica is believed to house the remains of Saint Peter underneath the floor of the high altar.

Do you want to learn more about crypts or North Versailles, PA funeral homes? Call or visit us today for more information.

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 the 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.

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.

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.

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 set 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.

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 snaps 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.

Companion Cremation Urns

Companion urns are large containers that hold the remains of two people after their cremation services in North Versailles, PA. Do you love someone so much that you don’t want to be apart from them, even after the cremation service? A companion urn might be the answer.

Often intended for a husband and wife or other partners, these urns generally have two separate compartments or one open area large enough for both sets of cremated remains. Companion urns also have double the capacity of standard adult urns. Standard adult urns usually have a capacity of 200 cubic inches, while companion urns have a 350-400 cubic inch capacity to hold the cremated remains of two people.

Companion urns also come in many different materials. You can find companion urns in almost any material, from metal and granite to wood, glass, ceramic, marble, and more. In order to narrow down your options, consider how the urn will be used. For example, do you want it to be buried? Choose a durable material like stone, granite, or marble if you want it to last, or wood or another biodegradable material if you want it to decay naturally.

Wondering if your companion urn will be large enough? Assume that 1 pound of a person’s body weight will leave about 1 cubic inch of cremated remains. So, for example, if someone who weighs 200 pounds wants to be buried with a 150-pound person, they need a 350 cubic-inch companion urn. You can personalize companion urns even if one or both of the people are still living. Pre-planning for your eventual passing can also include personalizing your future companion urn. Try inscriptions with a personal sentiment, important dates, or even a special message from you to your loved ones. Companion urns come in two standard shapes.

Are you into saving the environment? Biodegradable companion urns can be released into the ocean. Biodegradable companion urns are eco-friendly vessels that allow you to bury or scatter the remains out in nature. They are made from natural materials that will decompose over time, returning your loved one’s remains to the earth. There are two standard companion urn shapes: vase-style, rounded, and box-shaped, rectangular. The vase-style, rounded urns are often ceramic as they are made on a potter’s wheel, while the rectangular urns are often made from metal, stone, or wood as square-cornered construction is easier with those materials.

Want to be sure generations to come know who is in the urn? Add a photograph! You can personalize a companion urn with individual photos of who is inside or, even better, a photo of the two people together. Try a photo-etched stone or granite urn that has the picture carved directly into the urn’s surface. You can also look into photo frame urns that allow you to change out the picture as often as you’d like.

We are here to help if you’re interested in learning more about companion urns or other North Versailles, PA cremation services. Simply call or visit us today to learn more about what we can do for you.

The Meaning of Common Funeral Home Flowers

From weddings and births to deaths and funeral home services, flowers have a rich tradition of symbolism in many important life events. Have you ever wondered about the significance of common flowers brought to funeral homes in North Versailles, PA? Keep reading to learn what common flowers represent so you can choose the perfect bloom to bring to a funeral, memorial, or any other kind of service after death.

To begin, you can try tulips. Tulips are generally spring flowers, harkening thoughts of renewal and rebirth. However, these flowers can also be associated with forgiveness worthiness, and love, making them ideal for use at a funeral or memorial.

Lilacs, like lilies, often signify youth and innocence. This symbolism makes lilacs a common choice for the funeral or memorial tribute of a young person or someone who had a childlike nature or good heart. With their signature floral scent and youthful appearance, lilies signify purity and innocence. They are often brought to funerals and memorials to represent the idea that the deceased’s soul has become peaceful and innocent in death or that the deceased will be reborn in a new life.

There are also gladioli. The gladiolus flower is very common for funerals and memorials as it symbolized strength, moral integrity, and faithfulness. What about orchids? Orchids are recognized as symbols of everlasting love all over the world. Perhaps this idea comes from orchids’ rarity or maybe from their incredible beauty. But no matter the reason, orchids are always a great choice for a funeral or memorial service to represent your everlasting love for the deceased.

You can’t forget about roses or forget-me-nots. Simply put, roses symbolize love. While different colors of roses have other meanings, the most common theme is one of love. White roses are very common at funerals because they represent rebirth and renewed love as well as pure love. Like their name suggests, these flowers are all about remembrance. Forget-me-nots signify lasting love for the deceased and the idea that the love will always live on in your memories, heart, and mind. This symbolism makes these flowers ideal for funerals and memorials.

Like many flowers, carnations come in different colors. Each color has a different meaning. For example, red carnations depict admiration, white connotes innocence and pure love, and pink carnations convey remembrance. In the United States, chrysanthemums sometimes called mums, represent the truth. But in parts of Asia and Europe, these flowers represent death, mourning, and grief and are therefore only used at funerals and memorials. What about camellia? With its delicate petals and soft scent, the camellia is a perfect representation of excellence, refinement, and perfection. These flowers are often brought to funerals and memorials of someone respected in their community. There’s also the hibiscus. Often thought of as a feminine flower, the hibiscus symbolizes delicate beauty and fertility. Therefore, its often used at service for beloved wives or partners. Because of its prominence in several island cultures, the hibiscus can also signify an association with Hawaii or Haiti.

We are here to help if you want to learn more about memorials, funerals, or North Versailles, PA funeral homes. Call or visit us today.

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