Funerals from around the world: Buddhism
Posted by Richard Rawlinson Is it uncharitable to start a brief discussion of Buddhist funerals by alluding to Mark Juergensmeyer’s recent book, Buddhist Warfare, which shows another side of a religion widely seen in the West as purely peaceful? This other side includes the recent example of armed monks in southern Thailand defending their communities […]
Pyre appeal, Ghana
In Ghana the famous xylophonist Bernard Woma is appealing for money for a new funeral pyre for the people of his village. Here’s what he says: Due to centuries held traditional practice, the Dagara people perform funerals in a public setting. This public funeral ritual means that the deceased is displayed in a pyre mounted […]
What does it cost to run a crematorium?
Here’s an extract from a feasibility review conducted by Rugby Borough Council Jan 2010, which plans to build a new crematorium. The review gives us useful info about how these things are costed: Staffing: “It is proposed that the number of staff recommended would be: 1 Manager, 1 Administration Officer, 1 Operative “With on-costs this […]
Following the logic of more efficient cremation
Posted by Charles An undated document issued by the Institute of Cemetery and Crematorium Management (ICCM) makes clear its policy on the practice of ‘holding over’ – the retention of bodies for up to 72 hours in order to optimise cremators: 5. Operation of Cremation Equipment At present cremator operating time in relation to usage […]
Assisted death — no
George Pitcher is an Anglican priest and journalist. This is what he wrote about his mother’s death: I tried to kill my mother in 1993. I didn’t attempt the act myself, you understand, but I asked a nurse to increase her morphine dosage to a lethal level, so that she might be washed away on […]
Thoughts of a funeral-goer
Posted by Lyra Mollington I love a man in a kilt. This week I was treated to the magnificent sight of dozens of men in kilts! It was Braveheart without all the blood and gore! As the hearse came through the gates, the pipe band marched at a slow and steady pace, playing Highland Cathedral, […]
Saying goodbye to Dad
A lot of people would reckon this song mawkish and sentimental and, of course, in their own terms, they’d be right. But for a great many other people, this would make an excellent funeral song. Luther Vandross wrote it from his own experience of his father’s death when he (Luther) was seven. Even if you […]
Get up and gone
DEAR ABBY: My father passed away four years ago. Right after his funeral I found a bottle of Viagra hidden in the trunk of his car. My sister and I agreed that we should keep it to ourselves and not tell my mother, but Mom and I are extremely close and I feel guilty keeping this secret. My […]
No yolk
A funeral director has been asked by a family to find a number of egg timers for the ashes of one of his clients. He can’t find any and has asked us if we can help. Sadly, we can’t. But can you? If you can, please drop us an email: charlescowling@blueyonder.co.uk
Good vibrations?
Promession has been a talking point ever since it was first described. It has not yet come to market, causing people to wonder if it ever will. When we raised doubts over whether the process is in fact able to reduce a body to organic powder by means of gentle vibration we received a lawyer’s […]
