Most Interesting Findings
Funeral directing has come a long way 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 they were friendly with the family who had lost someone. 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.
Funerals were strongly community-centered 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 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. A generous supply of wood shavings was then spread over the inside of it 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 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.
Families chose the front room or parlor as the final resting place for their loved one, who would be wearing their best clothes and left there until the day of the funeral. During this time relatives and family members would come to pay their respects. 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 would be arranged either side and a small altar set up at the foot of it. As embalming in those days 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 absorb any unpleasant odors.
On the day of the funeral, which usually took place three or four days after death, the family and friends 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 28th, 2010 · Comments (0)
Today, more than ever before, the role of the funeral director has to evolve so as to keep up with cultural shifts. The profession has come a long way since its beginnings in the eighteenth century.
Over the past couple of decades, society has begun to think about death differently, and the role of the funeral director has adapted to meet these new needs. These days, funeral homes are 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 loss and grief are obviously still at its core, the funeral of a loved one has become an opportunity to celebrate their life, rather than focus on mourning. Traditional 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 have steadily been on the increase. 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 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. As well as dealing first-hand with grief and loss, they can offer counseling, help with legal matters 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 much more knowledge-based.
As we moved into the twenty-first century, so we saw a continuing rise in the number of dispersed families. When it comes to handling the death of a family member, many people therefore appreciate convenience. The funeral director’s role has evolved in response to this, 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 substantially. 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 need to persist with adapting their services in the future. However, whatever changes the future may bring, 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 6th, 2010 · Comments (0)