How To Balance Tradition With Personalization At A Funeral

Whenever people are in the process of finding the right cremation services in Canonsburg, PA for a loved one who passed away, there are often disagreements on whether to uphold funeral customs or personalize the funeral. You can pay tribute to a loved one by including both tradition and personalization. Here is what you can do if you want both a cremation and a traditional funeral so that everyone is pleased.

Is It Possible To Have A Cremation With A Traditional Burial?

The reason traditional funerals are important for families is that they incorporate symbolic objects or rituals that hold significance for the family of the deceased. If the family is religious, it may display some meaningful symbols such as a cross, a Star of David, or even a figurine of the Virgin Mary. Rituals may include readings and prayers or even special meaningful funeral songs. If you want a cremation with a traditional funeral, you can have a viewing or visitation and a funeral service before the cremation. You can then have a burial service where the urn holding the ashes is buried or you can have a scattering ceremony if you decide to scatter the ashes.

Ways to personalize a funeral with a cremation

One way to do this is by choosing a location with a special meaning to scatter the ashes of the deceased or hold the memorial service. The location for a memorial service could be a park or a hiking trail where the deceased loved to hike, or a beach where they surfed. But if this is not practical for any reason, you can hold the service at a traditional location such as a church or a funeral home and still add unique touches to the décor or the music with themes that honor your loved one’s interests.

Personalized Touches To Add To The Service

You can let relatives and friends who could not make it to the funeral service participate in the service virtually. You can stream the service online using your phone camera or other types of cameras. Sites that allow streaming include Facebook, TikTok, Zoom, and many more. Another way to utilize technology is by displaying photos and videos of the deceased using slideshow presentations. This helps people remember the life achievements of the deceased.s

Will Your Religious Leaders Allow Cremation?

Religions such as Judaism, Christianity, and Islam do not have a history of practicing cremation. So, if you belong to any of these religions, choosing cremation may be a massive step away from tradition. But many clergies from these religions have been softening their stance on cremation in the last several years. All you need to do is coordinate with your funeral director to help you identify clergy that can conduct a funeral service even if there is cremation involved.

If you are looking for cremation services in Canonsburg, PA, let us help you arrange a funeral that strikes a good balance between tradition and personalization.