Tag Archives: Funeral



“Cremation or Burial? A Jewish View” by Doron Kornbluth

A case advocating burial over the increasingly popular practice of cremation

Modern society tends to prefer cremation: it is perceived as cheaper than a burial, more environmentally sound, and, well, just more hip. To the contemporary person, “the idea of scattering ashes seems a eco-friendly alternative” to burial. The idea of … Continue reading

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Our Weekly Tip: Before Death: Estate Planning

How can you ease the uncertainties that can arise with settling an estate?

3 Tips to Keep in Mind During Estate Planning: 1) Gain Clarity: Understand what will need to be managed with this particular estate. Debt? Bank accounts? Real estate? 2) Embrace Proactivity: Many believe that estate planning shouldn’t be a concern … Continue reading

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Who is Left to Pay?

In some cultures, lavish funerals take families to the brink of bankruptcy

In Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment, an impoverished widow spends her last rubles on her husband’s funeral and ends up destitute with her three children. The bitter satire of that chapter can still ring as true today as it did in … Continue reading

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Darth Vader Leads a Grandmother’s Funeral

A woman in Luton took her love for Halloween to the grave

Lorna Johnson’s funeral was a scene straight out of a movie. Literally. The 56-year-old’s memorial was attended by witches, Beetlejuice, the Tasmanian Devil and Darth Vader. The latter Star Wars character even led the funeral procession, which included an extravagant … Continue reading

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Growing Wild: The Path to Natural Burial

Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park allows the dead to become one with the forest

In Eloise Woods Natural Burial Park, of Cedar Creek, Texas, there are no headstones or mausoleums. GPS coordinates mark the plots and there are detailed paper maps, but the monuments that display gravesites in conventional cemeteries do not exist at … Continue reading

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Rural China’s Erotic Funeral Dancers

How globalism and economics influenced Chinese funeral traditions

Hiring professional mourners is a common practice in many parts of the world, especially in rural China. Yet one mourning practice has inspired a country-wide crackdown. In recent years, some families in China have hired exotic dancers to perform at … Continue reading

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