In 21st century Britain almost 80% of the population do not regularly attend a place of worship. This does not cover attendance to a wedding, christening or funeral, but means a regular presence at a church at least once a week. This reality has underpinned the surge in popularity for so-called alternative funerals. This means that if a person had no religious convictions then a traditional burial or cremation may not be an appropriate option for them. In this context alternative does not mean non-religious, these funerals can be spiritualist, modern and interfaith as well as traditional. So what types of alternatives are available?
Civil and humanist funerals: A civil funeral is requested by the deceased and family and is carried out by a minister who may not share the convictions of the deceased and family. In a humanist funeral, the deceased has a non-religious ceremony which is structured as per their wishes. It is carried out by a celebrant and the family of the dead play the main role in the proceedings. In general terms, the only restrictions are legal and environmental. Intertwined with this choice is the option to choose a DIY or home funeral. In all cases, the advice of funeral directors should be sought, and if the deceased does not want any religious input, then this needs to be made clear in writing before their passing.
Sea Burial: This option is not limited to those with a maritime background and is, in fact, one of the choices that could be considered green or environmentally-friendly. It is at present relatively complicated to organise because there are only two sites in the UK where this type of burial can be carried out. As such only a few dozen are carried out annually. However, interest in sea burials is steadily rising and so these legal restrictions may well change in the future. As an alternative, many people opt for a cremation and then have the ashes scattered on the sea. Some choose to have an urn made from a material that slowly dissolves in salt water.
Natural, green or woodland funerals: Woodland ceremonies are simple and as close to nature as possible. The overriding objective for those who choose this type of funeral is to keep the environmental impact to an absolute minimum. On the contrary, the idea is to use the chemicals contained within the body to enrich the soil and promote opportunities for the growth of wildlife. After all, the body is composed of substances which can be readily broken and cycled through the natural world. It is worth pointing out that this option precludes embalming because the chemicals used are hazardous. It also means using a coffin made out of a biodegradable substance such as cardboard (normally from a recycled source) or a shroud is used which dispenses with the need for a coffin entirely. Finally, a tree or shrub of the deceased choosing is placed on the grave as opposed to gravestone. Overall the burial site is managed to encourage ecological diversity.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of options the choice of how to mark the passing of a deceased person is limited only by their choice and any legal frameworks. If a person is considering what may be termed an alternative funeral then they are strongly advised to discuss it with family members, next of kin and /or executors and should actively consider writing down their wishes and place the document in a life box or equivalent sealed container.
http://www.jcwalwyn.co.uk/
Civil and humanist funerals: A civil funeral is requested by the deceased and family and is carried out by a minister who may not share the convictions of the deceased and family. In a humanist funeral, the deceased has a non-religious ceremony which is structured as per their wishes. It is carried out by a celebrant and the family of the dead play the main role in the proceedings. In general terms, the only restrictions are legal and environmental. Intertwined with this choice is the option to choose a DIY or home funeral. In all cases, the advice of funeral directors should be sought, and if the deceased does not want any religious input, then this needs to be made clear in writing before their passing.
Sea Burial: This option is not limited to those with a maritime background and is, in fact, one of the choices that could be considered green or environmentally-friendly. It is at present relatively complicated to organise because there are only two sites in the UK where this type of burial can be carried out. As such only a few dozen are carried out annually. However, interest in sea burials is steadily rising and so these legal restrictions may well change in the future. As an alternative, many people opt for a cremation and then have the ashes scattered on the sea. Some choose to have an urn made from a material that slowly dissolves in salt water.
Natural, green or woodland funerals: Woodland ceremonies are simple and as close to nature as possible. The overriding objective for those who choose this type of funeral is to keep the environmental impact to an absolute minimum. On the contrary, the idea is to use the chemicals contained within the body to enrich the soil and promote opportunities for the growth of wildlife. After all, the body is composed of substances which can be readily broken and cycled through the natural world. It is worth pointing out that this option precludes embalming because the chemicals used are hazardous. It also means using a coffin made out of a biodegradable substance such as cardboard (normally from a recycled source) or a shroud is used which dispenses with the need for a coffin entirely. Finally, a tree or shrub of the deceased choosing is placed on the grave as opposed to gravestone. Overall the burial site is managed to encourage ecological diversity.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of options the choice of how to mark the passing of a deceased person is limited only by their choice and any legal frameworks. If a person is considering what may be termed an alternative funeral then they are strongly advised to discuss it with family members, next of kin and /or executors and should actively consider writing down their wishes and place the document in a life box or equivalent sealed container.
http://www.jcwalwyn.co.uk/