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Funeral directing has come a long way since it first began to emerge as a profession more than two centuries ago. For a long time, funerals were arranged by people who just did it part time alongside their day job, who often did it just because they were friendly with the family who had lost someone. 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.
There was a strong sense of community and those preparing the bodies were very often the same people who acted as midwives. Over the years, 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 by hand from solid oak, elm or mahogany, and then sealed with wax or bitumen. A generous supply of wood shavings was then spread over the inside of it to form a mattress and pillow and it was then lined with a bed sheet.
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 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 or parlor as the last resting place for their loved one, who would be wearing 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 these days did not appear until the late 1950s.
With the coffin placed on trestles in the front room, candles would be arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot of it. As embalming was too expensive for most families, the undertaker would need to make regular visits to the house to ensure that the body remained in a bearable condition. It was common to place fragrant flowers around the room to hide the unpleasant odors which naturally arose.
On the day of the funeral, which usually took place three or four days after death, the friends and family would line 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.
Today, what used to be need to be arranged by families is now done by a 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 the funeral director is continuing to evolve so as to keep up continual changes in cultural expectations. The profession has significantly moved on from its beginnings in the eighteenth century. Gone are the days of heavy mourning, the black-plumed horses and somber ceremony.
Over the past couple of decades, society has started to think about death in new ways, and funeral directors have had to meet these new needs. As it stands now, funeral homes are seen as much more of a ‘one stop shop’, offering the full range of services, from lasting keepsakes to floral tributes.
For a growing number of people, whilst loss and grief are 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. The funeral director has 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 option 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 ceremony itself, 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 and loss, they can offer counseling, legal assistance and financial guidance, and signpost families to support groups and aftercare services. 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 faced with the death of a family member, 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 significantly. This has led 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 have 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)