Humanist funeral celebrants’ response to the pandemic The coronavirus pandemic has brought many challenges to the funeral industry and we have all had to adapt and do things differently; from virtual and socially distanced ceremonies to launching a new pre-planned funeral service. Angie Aspinall from Humanists UK takes a look back over recent developments at Humanist CeremoniesTM.
Earlier this year, as a result of restrictions on attendance at gatherings, Humanist Ceremonies celebrants adapted quickly to delivering funeral ceremonies and memorial services online via Zoom. These virtual ceremonies enabled people to come together to pay tribute to a friend or loved one, celebrate the life lived. In the same way that an ‘in person’ humanist ceremony works, these virtual ceremonies also offered the opportunity for reflection, remembrance, and mourning. Once funerals could once again be attended by more people, with the necessary social distancing rules in place, humanist celebrants were there on the frontline alongside Funeral Directors, delivering personal, meaningful funeral ceremonies. And, because people were becoming more used to hearing about death and funerals in the media, we saw an increase in demand from people seeking help to plan their own funerals. 76 | FuneralTimes
Humanist funeral celebrant Sheena Bradley, based in Lisburn Pre-planned funeral service In May, Humanist Ceremonies launched a pre-planned funeral service to help people think through and record their own funeral plans. It’s designed to work in conjunction with prepaid funeral packages offered by Funeral Directors. Prepaid funeral packages tend to include: • Advice about the certification and registration of the death
• Collection and transportation of the body to the funeral home • Taking care of the body prior to the burial or cremation • The coffin • Arranging a burial or cremation However, they do not include planning the style, tone, and what is said at the ceremony, — and that’s where humanist celebrants come in. The Humanist Ceremonies pre-planned funeral ceremony
