Celebration of Life
BOOK NOWA Celebration of Life Ceremony is a time people come together to celebrate the unique personality and achievements of a dear friend or family member, rather than to merely witness or mark the person’s passing. There’s more room for creativity in a celebration-of-life ceremony than a funeral. Since celebrations-of-life are commonly held after the individual’s physical remains have been cared for through burial or cremation; there is much more time available to plan the event. And without doubt, this allows you to make clearer decisions about how you’d like to celebrate the life of someone you dearly love.
Celebration of Life Ceremonies
Funerals vs. Celebration of Life Ceremonies: Funerals and celebration-of-life ceremonies have much in common, yet they are vastly different.
Each is a ceremony; a gathering of people who share a common loss with a common intention. It’s just that one is more rooted in tradition, whilst the other is the result of recent changes in social and spiritual values.
For one thing – a celebration-of-life ceremony can occur at any time – be it a couple of days, a week, a month or even years afterward.
The celebration-of-life ceremony often focuses on storytelling, remembrance and an honouring of the person’s life, loves and achievements.
However, both serve to do three things:
- Support the bereaved family and their community to come to terms with and acknowledge the death of a loved one.
- Support the grieving family by surrounding them with caring friends, co-workers, and neighbours.
- Move the deceased from one social status (living) to another (deceased) and mark this occasion with the use of ceremony as a rite-of-passage.
Celebration of Life Ceremony
Whilst the celebration is sacred, it is also a celebration of life – so the focus is on honouring the person’s physical life as well as the continued existence of the soul’s journey after the physical body has died.
Some ideas for your celebration-of-life-ceremony.
Here are some ideas for your special occasion, but by all means this is not a complete list. I will assist you in creating something that is special for you, your deceased relative/ friend and also your greater community.
- Ask attendees to bring a story or memoir
- Enjoy music, songs and poems that were a favourite part of the deceased persons life
- Display a photo or memory table with slides of life events if that feels appropriate
- Scatter ashes in the ocean or garden – each person may want to hold a little of the deceased person’s ashes in their hand to honour their departed friend
- Flowers may be used to scatter with the ashes – either in the ocean or in any other nature setting
- Distribute memorial tree-saplings for each attendee
- You might want to create a type of theme for your ceremony
“ For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.” ~ Kahlil Gibran ~
Celebration of Life ~ Investment
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