Tag Archives: Ceremony

Tangihanga: A Look Into a Traditional Maori Funeral

How one of the world's most remarkable cultures approaches expected and unexpected loss

The Maori people are an indigenous group of Polynesian New Zealanders whose ancestry can be traced all the way back to the 13th century. Due to centuries of isolation, the Maori have established a distinct society of characteristic art, language and … Continue reading

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Our Weekly Tip: Remember Your Loved One with a Celebration of Life

Use balloons and photographs to honor and remember the person who died

Our Tip of the Week: If you’ve lost someone you admired or cared about, chances are that person had similar feelings towards you. While their death may signify a disheartening time for you, it’s likely that they would still want … Continue reading

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What is Ash Scattering? An Interview with Gary Trovinger

How scattering ashes from the air can make beautiful and lasting memories for a family

The popularity of cremation continues to increase in the United States, and as it does, we’re seeing more and more creative and meaningful options for cremation ash disposition. Gary Trovinger is the owner and pilot of SCATTERINGS, a Bay Area-based … Continue reading

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“Notes for a Story of a Man who Will Not Die Alone,” by Dave Eggers

Eggers' imagining of how one man flouts tradition and makes his death into a grand party

Dave Eggers is something of a San Francisco hometown hero, if literary figures can be heroes. His novels, including A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, are well-known and critically-acclaimed. He founded McSweeney’s, a publishing house with a respected quarterly literary … Continue reading

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What is a Celebrant? An Interview with Charlotte Eulette and Dorry Bless, Part 2

The conclusion of our discussion about celebrants, end-of-life ceremonies, and personalizing ritual

Last week, we published Part 1 of our interview with Charlotte Eulette, the International Director of the Celebrant Foundation & Institute, and Dorry Bless, Board Member and Funeral Committee Chair of the Institute. We continue our conversation about celebrants here … Continue reading

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What is a Celebrant? An Interview with Charlotte Eulette and Dorry Bless, Part 1

A new era of end-of-life ceremonies: how celebrants both embrace and break with tradition

The Celebrant Foundation & Institute, a nonprofit educational organization that trains Life Cycle Celebrants, is changing the way we think about ceremonies. In particular, end-of-life celebrations are transcending the traditional funeral idea, with people opting for the personalized, meaningful ceremonies … Continue reading

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