Dying Matters | Brighton Funeral Directors

Pauper’s Funerals on the Rise

Philip Evans
2nd June 2014
Categories: Brighton, Dying Matters, Hove, Hove Funeral Directors, Planning a Funeral

In the past, a “Pauper’s funeral” was a funeral paid for by the state, for those who either didn’t have enough money in their estate or family members willing to cover the costs of the burial arrangements. This was one of the earliest social welfare provisions in Britain, dating all the way back to Elizabethan times. In modern times, local government authorities are still obligated to bury those who die in destitute circumstances. The official name is “Public Health Funerals”, as these funerals are less about assuring the dignity of those who have died and more about disposing corpses in ... Read more

Body Donation Rising in Popularity

Philip Evans
21st May 2014
Categories: Dying Matters, Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

While many people continue to consider burial or cremation, others are looking into another option: body donation. In short, this is the act of donating your body to science as opposed to being buried or cremated. There is no denying that you will eventually come in contact with somebody who is interested in donating their body to science, however, they don’t know how to get started. This is much more difficult than just having their body dropped off at a local lab! The practice of body donation is highly regulated. Even though there are many advantages of body donation, it ... Read more

Do You Know What Funeral Music Your Loved One Wants?

Philip Evans
15th April 2014
Categories: Brighton, Dying Matters

Would you know what hymn or song your loved one would want played at their funeral? If not, you are not alone, more than seven out of ten people in a recent survey said that they were not certain. Popular Funeral Songs In a previous survey of the nation’s top 10 most popular contemporary funeral songs were – “My Way” by Frank Sinatra “Time to Say Goodbye” by Sarah Brightman and Andrea Bocelli “Wind Beneath My Wings” by Bette Midler “Over The Rainbow” by Eva Cassidy “Angels” by Robbie Williams “You Raise Me Up” by Westlife “You’ll Never Walk Alone” ... Read more

Workplace Bereavement

Philip Evans
6th April 2014
Categories: Dying Matters

The National Council for Palative Care, The Dying Matters Organization, and the National Bereavement Alliance recently teamed up to study how employers and workplaces handle the bereaved. The study worked with four thousand individuals and what they found out is startling. The Results of the Study According to the report, the country’s employers are doing their employees a massive disservice. Among other things, this report reveals: One third of those who have dealt with the loss of a loved one within the last five years do not feel that their employers handled the matter well. Half of those polled said ... Read more

Bereavement Workplace Leave.

Philip Evans
26th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters

The debate over employee sanctioned bereavement leave is a difficult one. On the one hand you have people who insist that bereavement leave should be a standard part of the employee benefit package, like maternity leave. On the other, you have those who say that regulating bereavement leave is much trickier and will be more difficult for businesses to implement and should be left well enough alone. They are both kind of right and kind of wrong. Bereavement and Maternity Leave Expectant mothers and fathers can count on being given at least a few weeks (though, in most cases it ... Read more

Cruse Grieving Services.

Philip Evans
26th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters

Cruse started out as a small local service focused on helping widows and their children through the bereavement process and now Cruse Bereavement Care is the most highly respected bereavement care charity in the United Kingdom. It offers bereavement services, support and counseling to people across England, Northern Ireland, Wales and (via its sister charity) Scotland. In addition to helping individual people deal with grief, Cruse has also been contracted by larger organizations. They were flown to New York after 9/11 to help support Brits living in the states. The Metro Police contracted them to help lend support after the London ... Read more

Children and Funerals.

Philip Evans
26th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters

Trying to talk to children—especially very young children—about funerals can be incredibly stressful. As adults, we worry about causing too much stress or allowing our children to feel too much pain. It is our instinct to shield them from death and the grief that follows it for as long as possible. The primary problem with this is that, if we don’t tell them about death, the grieving process and how funerals and memorial services work, our kids are going to fill in the blanks for themselves. You already know how creative a child’s imagination can be. Do you really want ... Read more

Famadihana: The Turning of the Bones

Philip Evans
13th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters, Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

Every two to seven years, families of the Malagasy people of Madagascar gather for famadihana ceremonies to honour their deceased loved ones. Known as “turning of the bones,” these ceremonies, which take place at the family crypt, are cause for joyous celebration. The remains of the loved ones are brought out from the crypt, sprayed with perfume and wine, and wrapped in silk. This vital part of their culture is how the Malagasy people maintain connection with the deceased. Famadihana is a huge two day festival in which the entire extended family travels in from far and wide to attend. ... Read more

Aboriginal Death Ritual

Philip Evans
13th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters, Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

The beliefs and rituals of the Australian Aboriginal peoples vary from tribe to tribe, region to region, all loosely pertaining to their concept of the cosmos and afterlife, known as “The Dreaming.” Oftentimes, any number of methods may be used to dispose of the body and free the soul, including cremation, decay by exposure, and mummification. There are different but distinct stages to these rituals, marking the separation of spirit from body. One interesting ritual involves laying out the deceased on a platform, with the body covered in branches and leaves, and the corpse is left to decay naturally. The ... Read more

Tibetan Sky Burial

Philip Evans
13th March 2014
Categories: Dying Matters, Funeral Rites and Rituals Around the World

This is the first article in a new blog series brought to you by Sussex Funeral Services exploring funeral rites and rituals around the world. Join us as we look into how different peoples both mourn and celebrate death. Jhator is the ancient ritual of death among Tibetan Buddhists that dates back over eleven-thousand years, and is still in practice today. The earliest writings of this ritual are found in the Buddhist Book of the Dead, a guidebook on Buddhist customs surrounding death and reincarnation. It is believed to have been written sometime in the twelfth century, dictating a funeral ... Read more

Category: Dying Matters