Funeral announcements, in UK, individuals announce the death of their loved ones in a national or local newspaper. The announcement include the funeral details. Announcements allows distant relatives and friends to make arrangements of attending the funeral or send flowers. Many funerals in the UK are open for the public unless the family opt for a private funeral with only close family and friends. Black clothing, it is traditional to wear smart, black clothing to a funeral in the UK. Men often wear black suits. For a long time, black has been associated with mourning. However, today some people request guests to dress in other colors especially in children’s funeral.
Funeral procession, the tradition funeral procession is where the procession is led by the hearse and is still a tradition in the UK. It is usually followed by the car driving immediate family of the deceased. Funeral directors create markers and flags to alert other motorists and keep the procession together. In the older days, the funeral director would lead the procession by foot, before getting into the hearse, some people still choose this ritual. Funeral flowers, flowers play a role of providing beauty and comfort. A lot of people believe that flowers are symbols of continuity of life. Some people choose flower colors based on the favorite color of their loved ones, while others choose based on their connotations and meaning. In UK, lilies are the most common flowers in funerals since they symbolize innocence that has been restored to the soul of the deceased.
Burial tradition. In UK the deceased is either buried or cremated. It is tradition during the burial to throw soil onto the coffin as it is lowered down. Most times the ritual is done by the family members but on some occasions it is carried out by the funeral director. Some families also throw flowers or personal items onto the coffin. The ritual is done to show love to the deceased. Wakes, wakes are small parties held after funeral are designed to celebrate the life of the deceased. It is usually held in the house of deceased’s immediate family, pub or hotel.
