FIORE-BUCKLEY FUNERAL HOME
                                             236 Monmouth Road
                                                                   Oakhurst, Ocean Township, NJ 07755
         Phone: 732-531-3885
or: 732-775-2455
           Fax: 732-531-5583
Fiore Funeral Home in New Jersey - Logo
FIORE FUNERAL HOME
882 Broadway
West Long Branch, NJ 07764
Phone: 732-229-8855
Fred Fiore, Jr. - Manager
NJ License Number 3759
Fax: 732-531-5583

Traditional Funeral Services

Affordable Funeral Services in NJ

All we need to do is say the word "funeral" and within microseconds, you have an image in your mind of what a funeral looks like. This mental image comes from many sources: the geographical place, culture and society in which we live; our faith; our life experience. Obviously then, a funeral service in Borneo would look very different from one held in Tanzania; there are even significant differences between the funerals held in ethnically and/or geographically diverse regions of North America.

Yet, despite the differences, these funeral services have much in common. We invite you to read further to learn the really simple answer to the question "what is a funeral?" Should you have questions about what you read here, we encourage you to call us. One of our funeral professionals will be delighted to explore the commonalities behind the wide spectrum of funeral ceremonies seen around the world.

What is a Funeral?

Before we get into the specifics, it's important you understand the answer to the question: "What is a funeral?". No matter where it's held, a funeral is a structured ceremony, with a beginning, middle and end. Each is intended to engage the living participants in activities which will transform their status within the community, provide mourners with a collective grieving experience, and celebrate a life lived. It's a socially-acceptable way for members of a community to re-affirm and express their social attachments.

Anthropologists label a funeral as a rite of passage, which affects everyone involved–including the deceased. His or her social status changes dramatically, from a living contributing member of the community to one whose contributions are in the past, and relegated to memory. But the status of each of the survivors—the immediate family most especially—has also changed. In fact, the funeral service can be the start of a defined period of mourning for bereaved family members, marking this transition in a uniquely identifiable way. 

It could be said then, the focus of a funeral arrangement—no matter where, no matter when—lies in acknowledging change. And without doubt, human beings (as individuals and as a community) have trouble dealing with profound changes like the death of an integral member of the group. When you take this perspective, it becomes easier to understand the importance of ceremonially acknowledging the tear in the social fabric and the symbolic restoration of its integrity.

The Basics of Traditional Funeral Services

Funeral arrangements, whether traditional or more modern (memorial service or celebration-of-life), have two functions: to acknowledge the death and lifetime achievements of an individual and to bring grieving family members and friends together in support of one another during this difficult time.

All traditional funerals generally contain the same main components. We have explained each component below:

1. Wake or Visitation

The purpose of a wake or visitation is to give people the opportunity to pay their respects to the deceased and the family. You often do not have this same opportunity during the funeral service. At the visitation, the body is placed in a casket, and is either open or closed based on the preference of the family. Often people say a quick prayer by the casket then proceed to give their condolences to each family member. A good suggestion is to say something simple, yet meaningful to each family member such as "I am sorry for your loss", especially if there are a lot of other guests. 

2. Funeral Service

On the other hand, the funeral service is intended to honor the life of the deceased, remember exactly what he/she contributed to our lives, and to say a final goodbye. The funeral service can take place at the funeral home chapel, a church, or at the graveside/cemetery. Typically, prayers are said, hymns are sung, liturgy or religious passages are read, and the eulogy is given. 

3. Committal Service

After the funeral service is completed, there is a vehicle procession to either the cemetery or the crematory depending on the type of disposition that has been chosen. If burial has been choosen, the family and guests will congregate at the open plot or mausoleum. The Rite of Committal, the final set of prayers are given for the deceased, is said at this part of a traditional funeral service. 

4. Funeral Reception

It is very common for families to have a social gathering after the committal service with food and refreshments. It offers the family a chance to thank guests for attending, and for everyone to share memories and provide support to each other. This component is more social and less mournful. 

The Basics of Traditional Funeral Services


Funeral arrangements, whether traditional or more modern (memorial service or celebration-of-life), have two functions: to acknowledge the death and lifetime achievements of an individual and to bring grieving family members and friends together in support of one another during this difficult time.

There are four basic aspects of a traditional funeral service:

Visitation

This is often called a viewing or a wake. Guests come to pay their respects to the deceased by viewing their casketed body and spending time with the grieving family. A visitation can occur at any time before the funeral service.

Funeral Service

This event commonly takes place at the funeral home, a church, or at the graveside. It can include music, the reading of literary or religious passages, a eulogy, prayer, and the singing of hymns.

Committal Service

If the family plans to bury the deceased, this stage involves the vehicle procession to the cemetery.

Funeral Reception

Many choose to host this post-service gathering (or repast) at a reception hall. This is considered a time to share memories, laughter, and support.

We Can Assist You

For families and individuals living in this New Jersey (as elsewhere in the nation), a funeral service can mean many things. Some fall back on what is commonly called a "traditional funeral"; others see that same traditional service as an emotionally unfulfilling event. Fortunately, thanks to a number of unique social forces, there are alternatives. Today, end-of-life commemorative services range from the traditional funeral, to a memorial service and the increasingly popular celebrations-of-life. If you have yet to realize the immense value of such a collective acknowledgement of loss, reach out to us. Call to speak with one of our experienced funeral service professionals.

Learn More
Source:
Huntington, Richard and Peter Metcalf, Celebrations of Death: The Anthropology of Mortuary Ritual, Cambridge University Press, 1979
Rostad, Curtis, "The Basics of Funeral Service", Indiana Funeral Directors Association, 2014
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