Seo 2 Blog
Funeral directing has changed a lot since it first began to emerge as a profession over two hundred years ago. For years, funerals were arranged by people who just did it part time alongside their day job, who often did it just because it had become their family’s traditional role within the community. They arranged for someone to prepare the body (often referred to as ‘the layer out’) and organized the coffin maker and grave digger. Finally, the funeral service would be conducted in a churchyard by a minister.
Funerals were strongly community-centered and those preparing the bodies were very often the same women who worked as midwives. Now, the role of the undertaker has evolved from this community base and the majority of those involved in every aspect of a funeral work for companies. Rather than being your typical impersonal companies though, they are typically small family ones with a long established history.
Coffins used to be made at the home of the undertaker and each coffin was made to size by the undertaker’s men, generally from solid oak, elm or mahogany. Wood shavings were then spread within the inside of it to form a mattress and pillow before it was finally lined with sheeting.
Once the coffin was made, it was then taken to the house of the deceased by the undertaker and his men. If the doorway was too narrow, as it often was in those days, the undertaker’s carpenter had to remove windows and then replace them after the coffin had been taken inside. This was done because it was felt that it was essential that the body remain at the home of the deceased prior to the funeral.
The family of the deceased chose the front room as the final resting place for their loved one, who would be laid out in their best clothes and left there until the funeral. This was the norm for many decades. The Chapels of Rest that we are familiar with in funeral establishments today did not come into use until the late 1950s.
With the coffin placed on trestles in the parlor, candles would be arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot. As embalming in those days was too expensive for most families, the undertaker would need to make regular visits to the house to check that conditions were as bearable as possible for the mourners. It was common practice for families to place fragrant flowers around the room to absorb any unpleasant odors.
The funeral normally took place 3 or 4 days after the death, and on this day family and friends lined up outside of their homes. With curtains drawn, out of respect, they would stand silently as the cortege passed. The body was nearly always buried in the nearest churchyard, as a fee had to be paid to move the body outside of a town’s boundaries.
Nowadays, all this is taken care of by the highly-trained funeral director, which means that the family of the deceased can spend their time grieving for their loved one without any distractions.
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With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral director services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.
Tags: culture, death, Family, funerals, society
Posted in Dying · February 27th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Today, more than ever before, the role of funeral directors has to evolve so as to keep up continual changes in cultural expectations. The profession has significantly moved on from its beginnings, way back in the late eighteenth century.
Over the past ten or twenty years, society has begun to think about death in new ways, and funeral directors have had to meet these new needs. These days, funeral homes are seen as much more of a ‘one stop shop’, offering the full range of services, from floral tributes to lasting keepsakes.
For an increasing amount of people, whilst grief is obviously still at its core, the funeral of a loved one has become an opportunity to celebrate their life, rather than mourn the loss of it. Strictly black attire and solemn hymns have begun to give way to subtle introductions of color and pop songs liked by the deceased. Funeral directors have needed to follow this cultural drift and offer a broader range of services to fit both with this more contemporary approach as well as the traditional one still favored by many people, particularly by the older generations.
Since the idea of pre-payment was introduced around thirty years ago, pre-paid funeral plans are now as common as post-paid ones. A growing number of people also go beyond this, not only paying for their own funeral in advance, but planning the actual ceremony, so the families can tell funeral directors the exact wishes of their loved one.
To act as efficient as they can, funeral directors also need to be aware of the shifting business of life. In addition to dealing first-hand with grief and loss, they can offer counseling, legal assistance and financial guidance. Rather than the ‘body-centered’ service of earlier years, these days the profession is much more knowledge-based.
The start of the twenty-first century saw a continuing rise in the number of dispersed families. When it comes to handling the death of a loved one, many people therefore appreciate convenience. The funeral director’s role has evolved to take this into account, using the Internet and other technology to streamline its services and make them more accessible and efficient.
From a financial perspective, funeral directors have seen the profit margin on facilities usage and the sale of coffins reduce quite significantly. This has given rise to many expanding their range of services and products, including online obituaries and creative keepsakes.
Funeral directors will need to continue adapting their services in the future. However, whatever changes the future brings with it, their role will remain sensitive, practical and comforting.
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With origins dating back to 1853, E.F. Box are one of the oldest funeral directors within the UK. They offer a range of funeral services across a variety of faiths, beliefs and ways of celebrating life.
Tags: death, Family, funeral directors, funerals, society
Posted in Dying · February 5th, 2010 · Comments (0)
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