How funeral directors are changing with the times

Sponsored feature by Fenix Funeral

Funerals are as old as human culture itself, with evidence of burial rites that date back more than 300,000 years ago.

As a result, they’re steeped in traditions and history, with many funeral services including traditions that are hundreds of years old. Often, funeral traditions are linked to religions, and these are important for both the deceased and their family.

However, while funerals are still an important part of our culture, many of the traditions and beliefs surrounding them have gone out of favour. A growing number of people in the UK don’t hold any religious belief, with more than a quarter of the population. This number is growing each year and with it, the expectations and traditions surrounding funerals are changing too. In addition, new technology and customs have changed our society and changed the way we pay our respects.

Today, it’s more important than ever that funeral directors are capable of understanding the needs of their clients and implementing new ideas to help offer the best services.

Directors such as Fenix Funeral take a more modern approach to planning funerals, offering both traditional and non-traditional options and ensuring that the wishes of the deceased and their loved ones are followed.

Non-traditional funerals growing in popularity

Traditional funerals have been a major part of UK life for centuries, with services held in a religious site and including either a burial or a cremation. Today, burials are far less common, with around 70 per cent of families now opting to go with cremation. This is often due to the rising cost of a burial, which has steadily grown over the years.

The rising costs of funeral services, coupled with the cost of living crisis mean that many people can’t afford to hold a funeral. The rise of direct cremations, where no service is held at all, has shown that many people in the UK are less inclined to hold a funeral for their loved ones.

The reason for this growth is partly due to cost but also because of changing attitudes. As a result, many funeral services have included low-cost, non-traditional options for people to pay their respects to the dead.

Alternative venues, such as those not in a place of worship, also offer an alternative for those who aren’t religious. After a death, people are now more likely to get their support from other places.

Additionally, there is a growing acceptance that there are other opportunities to commemorate and come together at another time and place or online. For example, many families instead choose to hold a memorial service on am one-year anniversary of a death.

Technology implemented by funeral services

Technology has had a major impact on society and our customs, making our lives easier and changing the way we work and spend our free time.

It’s also affected traditions such as funerals and memorials. Today, it’s far more common for people to pay their respects to the dead online, either through online obituaries, memorial pages or online funerals.

A growing number of funeral directors now implement technology into their services, aimed at providing grieving families with everything they need to remember their loved ones. These technology-based funeral services can help funeral directors address the changing attitudes towards memorials.

Technology can be implemented into non-traditional and traditional funeral services, allowing mourners to pay their respects no matter where they are. In a world that’s become increasingly globalised, this is an important feature and means that people can still stay connected despite the distance.

Technology also allows people to pay their respects if there’s no traditional funeral service, with online memorials used to share pictures and videos of the deceased.