Word to the Wise Guides

Word to the Wise: A Series of Guides

  Advice to Live By — Our Handy Guides The WORD TO THE WISE series is a set of handy reference guides from Funeralwise.com. These concise guides provide tips and information about funeral etiquette, funeral customs, buying funeral products and services, and much more. Among the Guides you can expect to receive are: Guide to […]


Cross-Cultural Funeral Customs

Cross-Cultural Funeral Service Rituals

By LaVone V. Hazell, MS, FT, LFD For the past two decades, the traditional funeral rite has been in transition for various reasons: changes in social stratification due to a declining economy and shrinking resources; increased immigration to the United States; neo-local spread of the family to many geographic locations; increased demand for cremations; decline in religious practices and increased secular observances; and a shift from ancestral to contemporary funeral rites.


Making Pet Funeral Arrangements

While the concept of a pet funeral is relatively new, the value of holding a commemorative event to aid the healing process goes back to our most primitive roots. Whether you choose burial or cremation, your approach can be true to your religious views or environmental concerns. The only right approach is the one that helps you and your family say farewell to your pet. Pet Funeral Services


Deciding when to Euthanize a Pet

Pet Euthanasia

Sometimes an accident or a quickly progressing illness will take a pet’s life and relieve its owners from making a decision regarding euthanasia. More often, debilitating conditions and chronic health issues caused by aging or illness minimize a pet’s quality of life. Sometimes aging and illness can also cause chronic health issues that cause behavior problems. In some cases, unmanageable behavior can jeopardize the safety of children and other pets in the home.




Deceased Transportation

Deceased Transportation

Inter-city Transportation of Human Remains In many cases a loved one's body is initially transferred from the place of death to a local funeral home (i.e., the "first call" funeral home) and then subsequently transported to another city for funeral ceremonies and/or burial. If this is your situation, you'll need two funeral homes - one locally to handle the first call, and a second one in the final destination city.


Cellphone makes first call for making funeral arrangements with Funeralwise

The First Call: Who to Call When Someone Dies

Who to Call When Someone Dies When you need to have a loved one's body removed from the place of death, you'll need to contact a local Funeral Director to transfer the body to a funeral home or comparable care facility ("first call"). Funeral directors are available through funeral homes and other funeral service organizations.


Funeral Topics A – Z

Topics A - D A Advance Directives African-American Funerals Alternative Funeral Providers Arranging a Funeral: What You Need to Do Ásatrú Funerals Asian Funeral Flower Customs


Humanist Funeral Customs

Humanist Funeral Service Rituals

The humanist view rejects the idea of an afterlife and interprets death as the end to an individual’s consciousness. They believe that human beings are simply another part of nature — and that death is nature’s way of cleansing. Through death, we clear the way for new life. Humanists believe that an individual’s happiness and experiences are engraved into history. The deceased will live through the memories and experiences that his loved ones hold in their hearts.


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