Why Do We Have Funerals?

Why Funerals?

Most people often say they just don’t like going to a funeral, or that they have trouble with funerals. It’s completely understandable because it’s often considered a macabre ritual that’s unnecessary. But before we offend someone’s family by not attending a funeral, let’s first try to understand why we have funerals and why it’s important we attend them when we lose a friend or loved one.

5 Reasons Why We Have Funerals

There are actually dozens of small reasons why we have funerals and why it’s an important part of the grieving process and an important step in continuing our own lives, but we came up with a handful of what we deem to be the most important reasons to have a funeral.

Acknowledge the Loss of a Loved One
First and foremost, we have funerals because we lost a friend or family member and we want to acknowledge that loss, by talking about what that person meant to us while they were alive. This person now moves from the physical relationship we had with them when they were alive, to someone that can inspire only as a memory now. A funeral helps that transition, as we personally acknowledge the good (and bad) things that they might have done, and we use those memories to help us grow.

Help Support For Family and Friends
Probably the most important reason we have funerals is to offer our condolences to the family members and close friends of the person that died. While we may have offered our love and support in a phone call or a visit, dressing up to say goodbye helps family and friends understand their loss is also our loss. And we want to be there for them – during the funeral and in the coming weeks and years.

Reflect On What Life is About
Funerals often snap us out of our daily routines, giving us a chance to really take inventory of our lives. What is life all about and what can we do to make our time on earth more meaningful and important to our family and friends?

Share the Beliefs, Including Those of the Loved One
Usually, the subject of death is something not really discussed in most households, but after a loved one dies, it’s important to discuss what this means for us and our family. At the funeral, individuals might also convey what their lost loved one believed, and it will help us move on.

Finally, To Say Goodbye
At the very minimum, having a funeral gives us one last chance as a community to say goodbye to one of their own. We can acknowledge and discuss with others what their lives meant to us, and how our lives might be changed because of them.

The Gardens of Boca Raton Cemetery and Funeral Services has overseen many funerals and they understand exactly why we have funerals. They help families say goodbye to their lost loved one, while also hosting a respectful and caring service that allows friends to pay their last respects.