Funeral Assistance | Culture

Families today are incredibly blended, and may have individuals within the family who claim a variety of different cultural backgrounds. While it can be challenging to blend cultural uniqueness during holidays, a funeral is one time that you want to be sure to feature elements from all cultures to provide support and comfort to all family members. If you’re finding it challenging to incorporate all of the elements that you need be sure to request funeral assistance in planning from our friendly and knowledgeable team at Mountain View Funeral Home and Cemetery.

Expressions of Grief

Different cultures may express grief differently, and grief could even be considered an instinctual response that we are not completely in control of. While we view the world through the lens of our culture, it’s important to keep in perspective that others may grieve significantly differently than we do, but the feelings are no less real.

African-American Funerals

In the U.S., African-American funerals are strongly influenced by the past and may be highly ritualized, with individuals given specific parts to play in this final drama. It is not uncommon for mourners to place special or sacred items into the casket, and ceremonies may tend to be more elaborate and may include live music, singing and often is a community-focused event.

Muslim Funerals

While it may seem shocking to some Americans, in a Muslim funeral the family members are often the ones who prepare the body at the funeral home. Muslim custom dictates that the funeral assistance and the burial be performed within the 24 hours directly after death–meaning families will not have a great deal of time to gather or mourn.

Latin American Funerals

While Muslim funerals tend to be more of a minimalist affair, Latin American funerals are a protracted and complex celebration of life and often include a full funeral Mass, several days of open casket viewing, and include children in the “Rite of Passage”. Elders and those who have passed beyond are honored with the highest reverence and funerals are very traditional.

Any time you need funeral assistance for planning, or need more information about specific funeral rituals, contact our Concierge Services team and they will be happy to help you find the information or services that you need.