Purpose of Funeral Ritual - Importance and Significance

This article discusses the importance and significance of funeral rituals and customs. It explains how funeral rituals are important for any individual and from any part of society or ethnicity and marks the transition from life to death, which is a reality of life. The article also talks about the different customs associated with the funeral and how the funeral service provider must respect and understand the culture and prepare accordingly. It highlights the purpose of death ritual and how it allows the grieving family members to pay their respects and say goodbye. The article also explains how funeral rituals offer an opportunity for the grieving members to get together and acknowledge the reality of the death while offering support to each other.

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PURPOSE OF THE RITUAL
Your Name
Date

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Funeral ritual
Task 1 – Report
There are different ritual and ceremonial activities followed by a community or society.
The rituals compromise of specific activities and ceremonies that are carried out with a certain
purpose. Rituals establish certain goals and relationships within a community. A funeral is an
important ritual for any individual and from any part of society or ethnicity and marks the
transition from life to death, which is a reality of life.
The study of ritual began with the debate on religion that was interpreted based on
evolutionary, sociological, and psychological styles1 . Rituals focused on essential life events and
critical moments of social life that marked a change from one status to another. This is how birth
rites, marriages, and funerals evolved and most of the initiation rituals exhibit a three-stage
pattern. Rituals associated with death and bereavement have always played an essential role in
society. The experience of the death of a loved one can be devastating for the surviving family
members. Still, the family must ensure that the person who has died gets a proper ceremony and
follow culturally specific rituals2 for the final life transition.
Although there is a wide diversity in the death-related rituals. Yet, despite all the cultural
diversity in the face of death, there is a striking commonality3 that exists. The body is not
regarded as the carcass of some animal but buried with carefully detailed instructions under
hygiene and moral obligations Significant efforts and considerable time are required to create an
1 Catherine Bell, Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. (Oxford University Press, 2009), 126.
2 Karen Roberson, Turenza Smith and Wanda Davidson, Understanding Death Rituals. International." (Journal of
Childbirth Education, 2018), 22.
3, William G.Hoy, Do funerals matter? the purposes and practices of death rituals in global perspective (Routledge,
2013),12.

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effective ritual. Most cultures have significant4 ways of dealing with death. While some of the
funerary rituals are simple and somber, others can be elaborate and loud. Certain beliefs lie
behind the content of the funerary practices. Different forms or ways are expressed through
certain practices at a funeral such as grief, music, and dance. The main objective of all funerary
practices is the deposition of the dead body5. Practical circumstances and changes in the belief
systems are the leading cause behind the change in the funerary practices and rituals. The ritual
experts consulted astrological calendars6 for planning ritual events like a funeral.
Having a funeral carries a distinctive experience for the whole family, especially under
the guidance of bereavement professionals. The surviving members connect through spoken
words and shared stories about the deceased person7. The primary objective behind a funeral
service or ritual is to express the love and respect for the loved one who has died and remember
them. Having a formal funeral memorial ritual also gives vent to emotional feeling and provides
a kind of support to the surviving family members. The funeral serves a two-fold purpose8; one is
to remember the person who has left his body and next, to bid a proper farewell to them. A
funeral service allows each of the grieving member to sit silent and go deep within his memories
of his relationship with the deceased. Certain grief recovery actions help people to discover the
unfinished elements within their relationships and those moments to give an emotional solace.
4 Karen Roberson, Turenza Smith and Wanda Davidson, Understanding Death Rituals. International." (Journal of
Childbirth Education, 2018), 23.
5 J. Rasmus Brandt, Håkon Roland and Marina Prusac, Death and Changing Rituals: Function and Meaning in
Ancient Funerary Practices, (Oxford: Oxbow Books, 2014),6.
6 Catherine Bell, Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. (Oxford University Press, 2009), 104.
7 William G.Hoy, Do funerals matter? the purposes and practices of death rituals in global perspective (Routledge,
2013),13.
8 Russel Friedman,” The Primary Emotional Purposes of a Funeral or Memorial.” Psychologytoday, August 20, 2014,
Accessed Jan 18, 2018. Available from psychologytoday.com

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Each griever is given a chance to feel complete and keno what to do to so that they can fill the
emotional void around them. The traditional and public expression of grief allows one to exhibit
their thoughts and feelings, as well as show their acceptance of social rituals and customs9. The
funeral encourages the expression of grief as per the culture’s values and provides social support
for the mourners.
The funerary rituals offer an opportunity for the grieving members to get together and
acknowledge the reality of the death while offer support to each other10. Death is a reality of life
and marks the transition from life to death. Rituals associated with death and bereavement have
always played an essential role in society. The experience of the death of a loved one can be
devastating for the surviving family members. Still, the family must ensure that the person who
has died gets a proper ceremony and follow culturally specific rituals for the final life transition.
The ritual can be made more humane and effective by adhering to the wishes of the
grieving members and organize the funeral with a clear structure. There can be music,
welcoming words with thoughts on life and death and some words on the personality of the
deceased. Private thoughts can be reflected in the private thoughts and some silent moments
observed.
Task 2 – Presentation
Death is inevitable and would come knocking on our door at some time or the other. As
Haruki Murakami puts it “Death is not the opposite of life, but a part of it.” When a loved one
dies in a family, one is filled with grief. It may take days or weeks to come to terms with the
9 Russel Friedman,” The Primary Emotional Purposes of a Funeral or Memorial.” Psychologytoday, August 20, 2014,
Accessed Jan 18, 2018. Available from psychologytoday.com
10 Karen Roberson, Turenza Smith and Wanda Davidson, Understanding Death Rituals. International." (Journal of
Childbirth Education, 2018), 22.

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reality and accept the finality of death. Perhaps the most challenging part is to accept the fact that
we are never going to see that person or his face ever again in our life. However, one must
acknowledge the death and accept that someone we loved has died.
Even if in grief, one must plan a proper funeral for their loved one. It is essential to
understand the purpose of death ritual and the different customs associated with the funeral. The
funeral’s service provider must respect and understand the culture and prepare accordingly. The
idea is to create a meaningful and enriching funeral service for the family 11.
Having a funeral means taking the first step to emotional healing and get over your grief.
At some point in life, one has to let go of their attachment to the dead and move on in life. This is
where the ritual of a funeral plays an important part. It is a social acknowledgment and
acceptance of the death as well as shows the compliance among the family members of the social
nomads and customs12.
A funeral service serves several essential needs. It acknowledges the death of someone
and allows the grieving family members to pay their respects and say goodbye. It allows the
family members and the community to come together and reflect on the reality of death and its
acceptance13. The rituals can be unique and followed in specific steps based on the cultural
customs and needs of the family.
When trying to understand the funeral services, it is essential to remove some of the
misconceptions associated with it to organize a well-planned funeral. Funerals are sad but also
create a space for us to express our grief and vent our feelings. It is a privilege and not
11 Karen Roberson, Turenza Smith and Wanda Davidson, Understanding Death Rituals. International." (Journal of
Childbirth Education, 2018), 22.
12 Batesville. The Purpose of a Funeral Service”. Batesville, Accessed Jan18 2018. Available from Batesville.
13 Batesville. The Purpose of a Funeral Service”. Batesville, Accessed Jan18 2018. Available from Batesville.

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inconvenience to hold a funeral. Keep in mind that funeral service is different from cremation.
The funerals need not only be religious as non-religious ceremonies are equally effective for
healing14. Children too can be allowed at funerals as funerals are not just meant for the living.
One should never negate the importance of the funeral ceremony as it is a symbolic
experience. It is the only way for families and friends to get together and express their emotions
publicly. The ritual of funeral unites not just the family members but at times even nations.
Common beliefs and values get strengthened through funeral service, and most rituals follow a
specific procedure15.
Humanist funerals are fast growing in popularity and reflect the changing norms of
society. As an increasing number of people consider them to be non-religious, the funerals are
focusing more on the life and personality of the dead. Thus, many people choose a humanist
funeral as they do not follow any religion or beliefs. The main difference between a traditional
funeral and a humanist funeral service is the absence of any religious components16 (Telegraph,
2017).
Even after the funeral service is over, the family embers need to take care of the
cremation and hold a post-funeral reception. Some funeral homes have space where the reception
can be had. In most religious communities, it is traditional to provide the food and drinks for the
post-funeral reception. Again, one has to keep in mind the religious traditions and what foods are
to be eaten or forbidden after a funeral.
14 Batesville.” The Purpose of a Funeral Service”. Batesville, Accessed Jan18 2018. Available from Batesville.
15 Batesville. “The Purpose of a Funeral Service”. Batesville, Accessed Jan18 2018. Available from Batesville.
16 Telegraph.” What is a humanist funeral?” telegraph, 2017, Accessed Jan18 2018, Available from telegraph.

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Bibliography
Bell, Catherine. 2009. Ritual: Perspectives and Dimensions. Oxford University Press.
Boulevard., Batesville. 2018. The Purpose of a Funeral Service. Jan. Accessed Jan 18, 2018.
https://www.batesville.com/helping-families/funeral-purpose/.
Friedman, Russel. 2014. The Primary Emotional Purposes of a Funeral or Memorial. Aug 20.
Accessed Jan 18 18, 2018.

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https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/broken-hearts/201408/the-primary-
emotional-purposes-funeral-or-memorial.
Hoy, William G. 2013. Do funerals matter? the purposes and practices of death rituals in global
perspective. Routledge.
J. Rasmus Brandt, Håkon Roland and Marina Prusac. 2014. Death and Changing Rituals:
Function and Meaning in Ancient Funerary Practices. Oxford: Oxbow Books.
Karen Roberson, Turenza Smith and Wanda Davidson. 2018. "Understanding Death Rituals.
International." Journal of Childbirth Education 22–24. .
Telegraph. 2017. What is a humanist funeral? March 21. Accessed Jan 18, 2018.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/financial-services/retirement-solutions/funeral-plans/
humanist-funeral-/.
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