What is a Funeral?

What is a Funeral?

All we need to do is say the word "funeral," and within microseconds, you have an image in your mind of what a funeral looks like. This mental image comes from many sources: the geographical place, culture and society in which we live; our faith; our life experience. Obviously, a funeral service in Pittsburgh would look very different from one held in Tanzania; there are even significant differences between the funerals held in ethnically and geographically diverse regions of North America.

Yet, despite the differences, these funeral services have much in common. We invite you to read further to learn the simple answer to the question "what is a funeral?" We encourage you to call us should you have questions about what you read here. One of our funeral professionals will be delighted to explore the commonalities behind the broad spectrum of funeral ceremonies worldwide.

What Makes a Funeral Arrangement?


No matter where it's held, a funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.

Anthropologists label a funeral as a rite of passage, which affects everyone involved–including the deceased. His or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory. But the status of each of the survivors—the immediate family most especially—has also changed. In fact, the funeral service can be the start of a defined period of mourning for bereaved family members, marking this transition in a uniquely identifiable way. 

It could be said then, the focus of a funeral—no matter where, no matter when—lies in acknowledging change. And without doubt, human beings (as individuals and as a community) have trouble dealing with profound changes like the death of an integral member of the group. When you take this perspective, it becomes easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.
Rituals and ceremonies help us express our deepest feelings and thoughts about some of life’s most important events. A funeral is no different. Most funerals help to fulfill these three things:

1) Funeral services allow us to honor and pay tribute to the individual who has died. Together family and friends can remember the life of their loved one.

2) Funeral services serve as a final goodbye to the physical presence of a loved one in our daily lives. It helps mark a difficult change that we will have to accept.

3) Funeral services serve as an opportunity to support each other. Funerals act as a central gathering place for people to mourn the loss together. Grief is very difficult to deal with, but dealing with it on your own makes it even worse.

Pennsylvania Funeral Services

For families and individuals living in this region (as elsewhere in the nation), a funeral service can mean many things. Some fall back on what is commonly called a "traditional funeral"; others see that same traditional service as an emotionally unfulfilling event. Fortunately, thanks to a number of unique social forces, there are alternatives. Today, end-of-life commemorative services range from the traditional funeral, to a memorial service and the increasingly popular celebrations-of-life. If you have yet to realize the immense value of such a collective acknowledgement of loss, reach out to us. Call to speak with one of our experienced funeral service professionals.
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Source:
Huntington, Richard and Peter Metcalf, Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual, Cambridge University Press, 1979
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