Funeral services commonly include prayers, readings from a sacred text, hymns (sung either by the attendees or a hired vocalist) and words of comfort by the clergy.
During the funeral and at the burial service, the casket may be covered with a large arrangement of flowers, called a casket spray.
Funeral customs vary from country to country.
A traditional Fire Department funeral consists of two raised aerial ladders. The firefighter(s) travel under the aerials on their ride, on the fire apparatus, to the cemetery. Once there, the grave service includes the playing of bagpipes. The pipes have come to be a distinguishing feature of a fallen hero's funeral.
Also a "Last Alarm Bell" is rung. A portable fire department bell is tolled at the conclusion of the ceremony.
The funeral generally includes a ritual through which the corpse of the deceased is given up. Depending on culture and religion, these can involve either the destruction of the body (for example, by cremation or sky burial) or its preservation (for example, by mummification or interment).
CHRISTIAN FUNERAL SERVICES - We will do all christian funeral services.
Christian burials typically occur on consecrated ground.For a time, burial was the preferred practice amongst Christians. This was because of the belief in the resurrection of the body.However, cremations are becoming more common, although some churches still forbid them.
The Roman Catholic church prefers burial because of the its belief that burial shows greater dignity to the dead body: ""The Church earnestly recommends that the pious custom of burying the bodies of the deceased be observed; nevertheless, the Church does not prohibit cremation unless it was chosen for reasons contrary to Christian doctrine" (canon 1176.3).
Congregations of varied denominations perform different ceremonies, but most involve offering prayers, scripture reading from the Bible, words of comfort (sermon, homily, or eulogy), and music. One issue of concern as the 21st century began was with the use of secular music at Christian funerals, a custom generally forbidden by the Roman Catholic Church.
