Nothing is worse than the death of a friend or family member. Unfortunately, it is something that many people have experienced in the past and will experience again in the future. When most people think about funerals, they usually think about traditional services that are held in either a church or funeral home, with a burial and gathering of family and friends for food afterwards. Many people these days aren't so traditional, though. These individuals feel that funerals should be a celebration of a person's life instead of a time to merely pay respects to the deceased person or mourn their death. They want funerals to be fun, if that is at all possible.
These unusual funerals, sometimes referred to as "alternative" can really be quite creative. Many of them may seem more like parties than funerals, which is usually the intention. There have been numerous unique ways to celebrate the life of a special loved one; there are companies that make "coffin" cakes, special urns that when opened, play the song, "How Dry I Am," as well as many other uncommon funeral-related items.
Peculiar Ways of Dispersing Ashes
These days, people don't want pricey funerals, so many opt for simple memorials, instead. Many also desire to have their remains dispersed in some unusual manner rather than placed in an urn and displayed on someone's fireplace mantel. This is usually decided by the deceased, prior to death, or possibly even the family. For instance, Gene Rodenberry, creator of the hit TV show Star Trek, requested that a portion of his ashes be blasted into space. Yet another famous person, art historian Roger Palmer, requested that his ashes be shot into heaven via a rocket. Granting his last wish, the family and friends of Roger Palmer gathered around a bonfire and launched his remains into the sky.
Another quite peculiar request was when Sir Charles Irving and his twin sister, Tibby, died. They wanted to have their cremated remains sprinkled from the air over the town of Cheltenham. This is exactly what the family had done in 1995.
These unusual funerals, sometimes referred to as "alternative" can really be quite creative. Many of them may seem more like parties than funerals, which is usually the intention. There have been numerous unique ways to celebrate the life of a special loved one; there are companies that make "coffin" cakes, special urns that when opened, play the song, "How Dry I Am," as well as many other uncommon funeral-related items.
Peculiar Ways of Dispersing Ashes
These days, people don't want pricey funerals, so many opt for simple memorials, instead. Many also desire to have their remains dispersed in some unusual manner rather than placed in an urn and displayed on someone's fireplace mantel. This is usually decided by the deceased, prior to death, or possibly even the family. For instance, Gene Rodenberry, creator of the hit TV show Star Trek, requested that a portion of his ashes be blasted into space. Yet another famous person, art historian Roger Palmer, requested that his ashes be shot into heaven via a rocket. Granting his last wish, the family and friends of Roger Palmer gathered around a bonfire and launched his remains into the sky.
Another quite peculiar request was when Sir Charles Irving and his twin sister, Tibby, died. They wanted to have their cremated remains sprinkled from the air over the town of Cheltenham. This is exactly what the family had done in 1995.
Comments
Interesting thank you
Interesting topic, thanks for the article.
And I really like the idea of an online memorial!
When I was a teenager, my then-boyfriend's grandfather died. The funeral and family get-together afterward made quite an impression on me. The whole day was spent (as you mention in your article) as more of a celebration of his life than an actual mourning time. There was singing and laughing, family and friends sharing memories of the deceased. In fact, no one wanted to leave. As I recall, it was after dark when people started making their way to their homes. It was a wonderful experience ... and I hope that is the way it will be when my time comes. Thanks for the article.
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