Talk About It
Funeral directing has come a long way since it first emerged as a profession over two centuries ago. For years, funerals had been arranged through individual people, who often did it just because it had become their family’s traditional role within the community. Funeral were then very simple affairs though, and just involved finding someone to prepare the body (called ‘the layer out’), a coffin maker, and a church minister.
There was a strong sense of community and the ‘layers out’ were very often the same women who acted as midwives. Now, the role of the undertaker has evolved into a profession in itself and the majority of those involved in funeral directing today are in firms with a long, established family history.
Coffins used to be made at the home of the undertaker and each one was made to size by the undertaker’s men, generally from solid oak, elm or mahogany, and then sealed with wax or bitumen. Wood shavings were then spread over the inside of the coffin to act as the 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. If the doorway was too narrow, as it often was in those days, the undertaker’s carpenter had to remove windows for the coffin to be taken inside. This process then had to be repeated when the coffin was later removed for the funeral.
Families chose the front room as the last resting place for their loved one, who would be laid out in their best clothes and left with the family until the day of the funeral. This was the norm for many decades. The Chapels of Rest that we are familiar with in funeral establishments today did not appear until the 1950s.
With the coffin placed on trestles in the parlor, candles were arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot of it. As embalming was reserved only for very wealthy clients, the undertaker would make regular visits to the house to check that conditions were as bearable as possible for the mourners. It was common to place fragrant flowers around the room to hide the unpleasant odors which naturally arose.
The funeral normally took place 3 or 4 days after the death, and on this day family and friends would line up outside of their homes. With curtains drawn, out of respect, they would stand silently as the coffin 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.
Today, all this is taken care of by the highly-trained funeral director, whose services can range from pre-paid funeral plans to jewelry made from the cremated remains of the deceased.
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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 in the late eighteenth century.
Over the past couple of decades, society has started to think about death differently, and funeral directors have had to meet these new needs. These days, funeral homes are more of a ‘one stop shop’, offering services that range from floral tributes to lasting keepsakes.
For a growing number of people, whilst grief is obviously still at its core, the funeral of a loved one is an opportunity to celebrate their life, rather than focus on mourning. Traditional black attire and solemn hymns have slowly been giving 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.
Since the idea of pre-payment was introduced twenty or thirty years ago, pre-paid funeral plans are now as common as post-paid ones. A growing number even go beyond this, not only paying for their own funeral in advance, but also planning the actual ceremony, so the family approaches the funeral director knowing the full wishes of their loved one.
To act as efficient as they can, funeral directors also need to know about the shifting business of life. As well as dealing first-hand with grief, they can offer counseling, legal assistance and financial guidance. Rather than the ‘body-centered’ service of earlier years, these days the profession is significantly more knowledge-based.
The start of the twenty-first century saw a 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 help to ease the burden of loss.
From a financial point of view, funeral directors have seen the profit margin reduce quite substantially. This has given rise to many expanding their range of services and products, including online obituaries and creative keepsakes such as necklaces made from the cremated remains.
Funeral directors will need to persist with adapting their services in the future. However, whatever changes the future may bring, their role will remain sensitive and practical.
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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 4th, 2010 · Comments (0)