High Cost of a Funeral
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The high cost of funerals It is never a good feeling or experience when one hears about funerals, especially if the person being laid to rest is a loved one or a close acquaintance. In some cases, funerals can be a unique experience despite the somber atmosphere of saying goodbye and recalling the good moments with the deceased. There are funerals followed by a military or crowd procession or a necrological service or eulogy, and a few would only be an intimate gathering of friends and relatives to say goodbye to the recently deceased. If the deceased has a position in government or a known personality, their funerals are often anticipated to see the people who had attended and what kind of honors did he or she receive. Funeral plans and the chance to pick what type of funeral can even be done in advance. While many argue that funerals are now becoming old-fashioned, many families still prepare and pay hefty amounts for funerals considering their religious importance and the fact preparing lavish or special funerals for love ones shows how much the person meant for the family or group. Dying and death rituals can be considered older than the earliest civilizations recorded in history as archeological findings have located evidences of burial rituals dating back to the Neanderthal era. Archeologists found decorated shells, flower fragments, and primitive tools for preparing the death were located near graves of Neanderthals, showcasing that there are burial rituals held before laying the deceased to their graves. Experts then emphasize that there is already an early perception on how to send-off the dead properly, enabling them to pass into the next life or to their respective journeys. If the funeral rite is not done correctly, it may cause the spirit to return into the living realm and cause chaos through violence and death for the living (Dennis). Funeral traditions had varied throughout the early civilizations, each
Professor
Course
Date
The high cost of funerals It is never a good feeling or experience when one hears about funerals, especially if the person being laid to rest is a loved one or a close acquaintance. In some cases, funerals can be a unique experience despite the somber atmosphere of saying goodbye and recalling the good moments with the deceased. There are funerals followed by a military or crowd procession or a necrological service or eulogy, and a few would only be an intimate gathering of friends and relatives to say goodbye to the recently deceased. If the deceased has a position in government or a known personality, their funerals are often anticipated to see the people who had attended and what kind of honors did he or she receive. Funeral plans and the chance to pick what type of funeral can even be done in advance. While many argue that funerals are now becoming old-fashioned, many families still prepare and pay hefty amounts for funerals considering their religious importance and the fact preparing lavish or special funerals for love ones shows how much the person meant for the family or group. Dying and death rituals can be considered older than the earliest civilizations recorded in history as archeological findings have located evidences of burial rituals dating back to the Neanderthal era. Archeologists found decorated shells, flower fragments, and primitive tools for preparing the death were located near graves of Neanderthals, showcasing that there are burial rituals held before laying the deceased to their graves. Experts then emphasize that there is already an early perception on how to send-off the dead properly, enabling them to pass into the next life or to their respective journeys. If the funeral rite is not done correctly, it may cause the spirit to return into the living realm and cause chaos through violence and death for the living (Dennis). Funeral traditions had varied throughout the early civilizations, each
Cited: Baskin, Judith. The Cambridge Dictionary of Judaism and Jewish Culture. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2011. Print. Bradshaw, Paul. The New SCM Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship. London: SCM Press, 2002. Print. Dennis, Dixie. Living, Dying, Grieving. Sudbury: Jones and Bartlett Learning, 2009. Print. Erskine, Andrew. A Companion to Ancient History. Hoboken: John Wiley and Sons, 2009. Print. Meri, Josef. Medieval Islamic Civilization: An Encyclopedia. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print. Quigley, Christine. The Corpse: A History. Jefferson: McFarland, 2005. Print.