Funeral ceremonies often reflect a person’s cultural traditions.  Not only do funeral rites show respect for the deceased, but also they honor his or her culture and beliefs.   A cultural funeral ceremony is a way for loved ones to celebrate the culture and life of their dearly departed.

All cultures and religions have their own unique rituals and traditions associated with funeral practices and mourning.  All over the world, different cultures practice many distinct, varied, and equally graceful traditions when someone passes away.  There are cultural universals that are common to all funeral traditions–love, honor, and respect–but each culture puts its own unique twist on the event.  Woodlawn’s “Funeral Rites Across Different Cultures” blog will take you around the globe to examine some of the finest funeral traditions from culture to culture.

Learn about funeral rituals in different cultures that can teach us a lot about dealing with loss.  We will explore hugely varied traditions that reflect beliefs and values in the Baha’i Faith, Hinduism, Wicca, Roman Catholicism, Sikhism, Buddhism, Orthodox Christianity, Judaism, Native American traditions, Islam, Quakerism, Humanism, Taoism, West African traditions, Pacific Islander traditions and more!

Woodlawn continues to be a non-sectarian cemetery without a specific religious affiliation.