Singapore is known to be a multicultural country. This just means that there are different religions and cultures that are practised. And one of the prominent religions there is Christianity.
If you are planning to move to Singapore, you should know about Christian funerals. You never know that you might end up with a neighbour that is a Christian and he, unfortunately, dies one day with no family to arrange his funeral. If you happen to become close with your neighbour, and the unlikely incident happens, then you’d be able to help him organise a proper funeral. Get to know more about Christian memorials when you read throughout this article:
Christian Funerals: Traditions and Beliefs
It is essential first to be knowledgeable about Christian beliefs for you to better understand why a specific tradition must be done during Christian funerals. This would make it more meaningful, instead of just following the traditions just because it’s the usual thing to do. You don’t really have to turn into a Chrisitan yourself. You just have to understand their ways.
Like any other religion, there are different practices that are done to ensure that the deceased will be properly sent off to another life. Here are some of the common practices that are done during a Christian funeral in Singapore:
Funeral Wakes
When a person dies, there is a funeral wake to be held for a week. This is for some of the deceased’s close friends and relatives to bid their farewell for one last time. Funeral wakes are also the best time for the deceased loved ones to pray for his soul. Christians often believe in the afterlife. This means that after the person dies, he is either sent in heaven. It is said that those prayers are the attestation of the faith of the deceased to Christ. So, it’s essential to pray on funerals. Also, prayers are found to be a comfort for the Christians. Families and friends of the deceased are feeling deep grief at that time, thus prayers are a great ritual to ease the pain and sadness that they are feeling.
Another element of a Christian funeral is the eulogies. These are short speeches done by the loved ones of the deceased to remember his life on earth. All their good memories and notable moments of the deceased will be shared.
Burial/Cremation
If burial is chosen, then there is still a chance for the visitors of the funeral to get to see the deceased for the last time because the remains will be embalmed. After the wake, there will be a funeral service to be held in the church. Fortunately, there are a lot of Christian funeral parlours in Singapore so you don’t have to worry about how the ceremony should be held.
As a tradition, there should be pallbearers assigned since they are the ones who are believed to be the people who will send the deceased to his last journey on earth. Meanwhile, the other visitors will walk at the back, following the carried coffin in front. This is also an act of sending off the deceased.
You can also choose to cremate the body of the deceased even though he is a Christian. Cremation is an accepted practice in the Christian world nowadays that there are Christian funeral parlours and columbaria in various countries. It is a more practical option because there are minimal maintenance fees on niches.
Tips for Preparing a Christian Funeral
Now that you’ve understood some of the common traditions and practices in a Christian funeral in Singapore, it’s now time to get to know how to properly arrange it. Check out these tips below and it might make the process a lot easier:
Look for a Minister
You would need to ask a minister to come to the funeral since they would be the ones who will be leading the prayers and traditions. They can also share a story from the bible during their sermons and this would make the whole funeral more solemn and spiritual.
Prepares Songs and Hymns
The songs and hymns set the mood of the funeral. These can also be used to initiate the guests to sing along, Singing the hymns is an act of worship to Christ so it would be great if you prepared this beforehand.
Invite a Speaker
Aside from the minister, you could also invite a few motivational speakers to the funeral. They can share some inspiring stories that would bring hope to the grieving families and friends of the deceased. They can help ease the pain that they are currently feeling.
Choose a Reliable Funeral Parlour
You should be careful in choosing a Christian memorial service. You should find one that is empathic and caring to their customers because they are the ones who are willing to extend a helping hand to grieving families.
If you want to get to know more about Christian funerals, then reach out to The Garden of Remembrance. They will surely be willing to help you go through a delicate moment such as the death of a beloved friend.
Resource:
