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Combining religions in funerals


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Combining religions in funerals

My mother converted to Judaism when she married her second husband. When she died it was a little confusing to work out what kind of ceremony to have for her funeral as she was brought up a Catholic and brought up the children from her first marriage (including me) as Catholic. The funeral home was a great help in this tricky time as they worked with the rabbi to work in some of the aspects of both religions and we ended up with a really beautiful service that everyone enjoyed. This blog has ideas on how to incorporate multiple religions into one funeral service.

Tips for Building a Funeral Home Catering to Diverse Cultures

Differentiating your funeral home from the competition is critical to succeeding in the ever-growing niche. This is important today because society has become culturally diverse. Thus, you are expected to cater to the needs of different cultural beliefs as far as funerals services are concerned. Therefore, how do you ensure that the services you offer at your funeral home meet the needs of a culturally diverse society? Read on to find out.

Establish Strong Relationships with Religious Leaders -- When it comes to culturally inclined funeral services, nobody understands the ins and outs better than a community's religious leaders. They know the roles every concerned party must play to ensure a seamless funeral service. Therefore, it is in your best interest to forge strong and lasting relationships with religious leaders of various cultures. Most importantly, the connections should be genuine and not just an outright way to get business. In addition, you need to show a willingness to learn and understand the funeral traditions and rites of the communities you plan to target. For instance, if you want your funeral home to cater to the Jewish community, build a relationship with the local rabbi.

Attend Religious Services/Community Events -- Another way to learn and understand unique funeral traditions practised by different cultures is through participation. This is not a difficult task because religious services and cultural community events take place every day. Attending religious services allows funeral directors to immerse themselves in a particular culture, albeit for a few hours, and appreciate the diversities better. For example, the Chinese have been burning fake or ghost money in their funeral services for centuries. Therefore, it is easy to believe that the community burns real money if you have never attended a Chinese funeral service. Similarly, yellow or white lilies and chrysanthemums are the most appropriate flower choices in Japanese funerals. Again, if you have never attended a Japanese service, you will most likely provide the wrong flowers for a Japanese funeral.

Hire a Culturally Diverse Team -- Funeral home employees can make a big difference in your ability to cater to the funeral needs of various cultures. For example, staff from the local Chinese community can help perform last-minute checks to ensure no red fabrics are present as you prepare for a Chinese funeral service. This is crucial because innocent mistakes, such as supplying the wrong incense sticks, can cost you business with the Chinese community. A culturally diverse staff can help prevent such scenarios.

Contact a funeral home that has experience with Asian funerals to learn more.