Funeral Terminology with Expanded Definitions
Funeral Terminology with Expanded Definitions
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- Aftercare: The comprehensive services provided by a funeral home to care for the deceased's body, including washing, dressing, and embalming (if desired). This can also encompass grief support services for the bereaved family.
- Alkaline hydrolysis (also known as water cremation): A relatively new cremation process using water, heat, and potassium hydroxide to gently break down the body into a fine, sterile powder. It's considered a more eco-friendly alternative to traditional cremation.
- Apportionment: Dividing cremated remains (ashes) among family members or loved ones for scattering, burial, or keeping in urns. This allows for personal memorials or shared remembrance.
- Ashes: The dry, powder-like remains left after cremation. Ashes can be scattered, buried, kept in an urn, or used in memorial jewelry.
- Autopsy: A medical examination of a deceased person performed by a coroner or pathologist to determine the cause of death. This may be required by law in certain circumstances.
- Beneficiary: The person or entity named in a will who will inherit assets from the deceased.
- Bequeath: To leave something (money, property, etc.) to someone in a will.
- Bequest: The thing that is bequeathed (inherited) from the deceased.
- Bereavement leave: Time off work granted to an employee who has experienced the loss of a loved one.
- Beyond Bereavement Leave: Some countries or employers may offer additional support, such as bereavement counseling or financial assistance.
- Bereavement Support Payment: A financial benefit provided by the government to a surviving spouse or partner after the death of their loved one.
- Bier: A raised platform where the casket or coffin is placed before a burial ceremony. It can also be used to transport the coffin during the funeral procession.
- Bio-cremation (see Alkaline hydrolysis): Another term for water cremation, highlighting its biological process.
- Burial at sea: Scattering or burying cremated remains at sea from a designated vessel. This may require permits and adherence to regulations.
- Burial plot: A designated area in a cemetery where a casket or coffin is buried. Plots can be purchased in advance.
- Casket: A four-sided container, typically rectangular, used to hold the body of a deceased person for burial.
- Catafalque: An elevated structure used to prominently display a casket or coffin during a funeral service.
- Celebrant (for non-religious funerals): An officiant who leads a funeral service that is not based on a specific religion. They can personalize the ceremony to reflect the deceased's life and beliefs.
- Celebration of life: A funeral service that focuses on celebrating the life of the deceased and the positive impact they had on others, rather than mourning their loss. It can include music, readings, and tributes.
- Cenotaph: A monument built to honor a deceased person or people who are buried elsewhere, often used to commemorate war heroes.
- Chapel of rest: A quiet, private room within a funeral home where family and friends can visit the deceased before the funeral service.
- Chattels: A legal term referring to a deceased person's personal belongings, such as furniture, jewelry, and clothing.
- Codicil: A legal document used to make changes to an existing will.
- Coffin: A six-sided container, typically tapered at the head and foot, used to hold the body of a deceased person for burial.
- Committal service: A part of the funeral ceremony held at the graveside where the deceased is laid to rest. It often includes prayers, readings, and a final goodbye.
- Columbarium: A structure with niches or compartments designed to hold urns containing cremated remains.
- Coroner: A government official responsible for investigating unexpected or unexplained deaths to determine the cause of death.
- Cortège: The funeral procession, consisting of the hearse carrying the casket or coffin, followed by family, friends, and mourners traveling from the funeral home to the service location and then to the burial site.
- Cremation: The process of reducing a deceased person's body to ashes using intense heat. This is a popular alternative to traditional burial.
- Crematorium: A designated facility equipped with crematoria (furnaces) specifically designed for cremation.
- Crypt: An underground chamber used to bury a body or bodies, often located beneath a church or cemetery.
- Death Certificate: An official document issued by the government confirming the death of a person. It's required for various legal and administrative purposes.
- Death notice (also known as obituary): An announcement of a person's death published in a newspaper or online platform, often including details about the funeral service and survivors.
- Digital legacy: Refers to a person's online presence and digital information that remains after their death. This can include social media accounts, emails, photos, and online documents. Considerations should be made for managing or deleting this information.
- Direct burial: A burial without a formal funeral service. This can be a more affordable option, or preferred by families who choose a private ceremony.
- Direct cremation: Cremation without a formal funeral service. This is a simple and cost-effective option.
- Disbursement fees: Additional costs associated with a funeral beyond the base package, such as cemetery fees, doctor's fees, celebrant fees, or maintenance fees for graves.
- Eco-friendly burial (also known as natural burial): A burial that minimizes environmental impact. This can involve using biodegradable coffins, burial grounds with minimal use of chemicals, and avoiding elaborate grave markers.
- Eco-friendly coffins: Coffins made from sustainable materials like bamboo, wicker, or recycled cardboard, designed to decompose more readily than traditional wooden coffins.
- Embalming: The process of preserving the body of a deceased person by injecting fluids and chemicals to slow decomposition. This may be necessary for viewings or transportation over long distances.
- Epitaph: A short inscription on a tombstone or memorial that summarizes the deceased's life or personality.
- Estate: The total assets and liabilities of a deceased person, including property, money, and debts.
- Eulogy: A speech delivered at a funeral service that pays tribute to the deceased and reflects on their life and accomplishments.
- Executor: The person named in a will who is responsible for managing the deceased's estate and distributing assets according to the will's instructions.
- Exhumation: The process of unearthing a buried body. This may be done for legal reasons, to relocate the body, or for further investigation.
- Funeral: A ceremony to honor and mourn the death of a loved one. It can be religious or non-religious and can include various elements like eulogies, prayers, music, and readings.
- Funeral director: A professional who provides guidance and assistance with funeral arrangements, including body preparation, transportation, venue coordination, and paperwork.
- Funeral Expenses Payment: Financial aid provided by the government to help low-income families cover funeral costs.
- Funeral home: The establishment where funeral directors manage funeral arrangements, body preparation, and may have facilities for viewings or services.
- Funeral parlour (see Funeral home): Another term for a funeral home, sometimes used in certain regions.
- Funeral plan: A prepaid arrangement that covers some or all of the costs associated with a funeral. This can provide peace of mind for the deceased and their family.
- Funeral spray: A floral arrangement designed to be displayed on top of a casket or coffin at a funeral service.
- Grant of probate: A legal document issued by a court that confirms the validity of a will and appoints the executor to handle the estate.
- Grant of representation: A broader term encompassing both grants of probate (for those with wills) and letters of administration (for those without wills). Both documents grant legal authority to manage the deceased's estate.
- Grave marker: Any object used to mark the burial site of a deceased person, such as a tombstone, headstone, plaque, or memorial tree.
- Gravestone: A permanent marker, typically made of stone or marble, placed at the head of a grave. It usually includes the deceased's name, birth and death dates, and potentially an epitaph.
- Green certificate for burial or cremation: A document issued by a medical professional confirming that a cremation or burial can proceed.
- Green funeral (also known as eco-friendly funeral): A funeral planned with a focus on minimizing environmental impact through choices like eco-friendly coffins, natural burial grounds, and minimal use of resources.
- Guardian: A person designated in a will or appointed by the court to care for a minor child in the event of the parents' death.
- Guardian's Allowance: Financial support offered by the government to a guardian caring for a child who has lost their parents.
- Half-couch casket or coffin: A casket or coffin divided into two sections, allowing the upper body of the deceased to be viewed during the funeral service.
- Headstone (see Gravestone): Another term for a gravestone, sometimes used interchangeably.
- Hearse: A specially designed vehicle used to transport the body of a deceased person from the funeral home
- Humanist funeral: A non-religious funeral ceremony that celebrates the life and values of the deceased without adhering to a specific religion. It can focus on personal stories, achievements, and the impact the deceased had on others.
- Inheritance Tax: A tax levied on the value of an estate that exceeds a certain threshold passed on to beneficiaries.
- Interment: Another term for burial, referring to the placement of a body in a grave.
- Intestate: Describes someone who dies without a valid will. In this case, the law determines how the estate is distributed.
- Inurnment: The ceremony or act of placing a cremation urn containing ashes in its final resting place, such as a columbarium niche, mausoleum, or burial plot.
- Keepsake: A commemorative item, often jewelry, that holds a small amount of cremated ashes or a lock of hair as a remembrance of the deceased.
- Lair: A term used primarily in Scotland for a burial plot in a cemetery.
- Letter of administration: A legal document issued by a court when someone dies without a will, appointing an administrator to manage the estate.
- Living will: A legal document outlining a person's wishes for medical care in the event they become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves.
- Mausoleum: A grand above-ground structure used to house the bodies of the deceased, often for wealthy families or prominent figures.
- Medical Certificate of Cause of Death: An official document signed by a doctor confirming the time, date, and cause of death. This is required for registering a death.
- Memorial: Any object, structure, or place created to honor and remember a deceased person. This can include statues, benches, plaques, or dedicated gardens.
- Memorial service: Similar to a funeral service, but without the presence of the body. It's a gathering to celebrate the life of the deceased and offer condolences to family and friends.
- Mirror wills: Wills created by a couple that are nearly identical, typically leaving all or most assets to the surviving partner and then to a designated beneficiary upon the second partner's death.
- Mortician: A funeral professional responsible for preparing the body for viewing, including embalming, dressing, and hairstyling.
- Mortuary: The room within a funeral home where deceased bodies are kept refrigerated before burial or cremation.
- Natural burial (see Eco-friendly burial): A burial that minimizes environmental impact through biodegradable materials and minimal use of chemicals or elaborate grave markers.
- Natural burial grounds: Designated areas, often privately owned, dedicated to eco-friendly burials. These may be woodlands, meadows, or fields where plots are dug by hand to minimize disruption.
- Next of kin: The closest living relative(s) of a deceased person, such as a spouse, child, parent, or sibling.
- Niche: A compartment within a columbarium or mausoleum designed to hold an urn containing cremated ashes.
- Obituary (see Death notice): An announcement published in a newspaper or online platform informing the public of a person's death and potentially including details about funeral arrangements and survivors.
- Officiant: The person who leads a funeral service, which can be religious or non-religious. This can be a clergy member, celebrant, or another designated individual.
- Order of service: A printed program or booklet distributed to attendees at a funeral service, outlining the schedule of events, readings, and hymns. It may also include photos or a tribute to the deceased.
- Pallbearers: The people, typically six to eight, who carry the casket or coffin during the funeral procession and at the burial site.
- Post-mortem (see Autopsy): Another term for an autopsy, the medical examination of a deceased person to determine the cause of death.
- Probate: The legal process of administering a deceased person's estate according to the instructions in their will or by the law if they died intestate.
- Public health funeral: A basic funeral paid for by the local council for those who have no family or means to arrange a funeral themselves.
- Register: A book used to record the names of people who attend a funeral or visit a funeral home to pay their respects.
- Register office: A government office where deaths are officially registered.
- Resomation (see Alkaline hydrolysis): Another term for alkaline hydrolysis, a water-based cremation alternative.
- Repatriation: The process of returning the body of a deceased person who died abroad to their home country for burial or cremation.
- Scattering: The act of distributing the cremated ashes of a deceased person in a designated location, such as a favorite garden, a nature preserve, or at sea. Permissions and regulations may apply depending on the chosen location.
- Secular: Refers to something that is not religious in nature. This can be used to describe a non-religious funeral service.
- Terramation: A relatively new option for body disposal that involves controlled organic decomposition, sometimes referred to as human composting. This process is currently not legal in most countries.
- Tombstone (see Gravestone): Another term for a gravestone, often used interchangeably.
- Unattended funeral (also known as closed funeral): A funeral service where no family or friends are present. This may be chosen due to personal preference or financial limitations.
- Undertaker (see Funeral Director): An older term for a funeral director, still used in some regions.
- Urn: A container, typically decorative, used to hold the cremated ashes of a deceased person. Urns come in various materials, styles, and sizes.
- Viewing or visitation: A period before the funeral service where family and friends can gather at the funeral home or chapel of rest to view the deceased and offer their condolences.
- Vigil: A religious ceremony, often observed in the Catholic tradition, held on the evening before a funeral service. It may involve prayers, readings, and hymns.
- Wake: A gathering of family and friends after a death to share memories, offer support, and celebrate the life of the deceased. This can involve food, drinks, and storytelling.
- Water cremation (see Alkaline hydrolysis): Another term for alkaline hydrolysis, highlighting the use of water in the cremation process.
- Will: A legal document outlining a person's wishes for the distribution of their assets and care of their dependents after their death. It's important to have a valid will to ensure your wishes are followed.
- Woodland burial: A type of natural burial that takes place in a designated woodland area. This option promotes minimal environmental impact and allows for a natural setting for remembrance.