hestiaIdeas for a farewell
At home, the night before
A vigil, a rosary, a novena, people sitting in the front room with the door open. Often this is where the real gathering happens, and the next day is for everyone else.
How it can look
- One evening, close family only.
- Nine nights, as some families keep a novena.
- Seven days of people calling in, as a shiva is kept.
Words you can use with a funeral director
We are holding something at home beforehand. Could you tell us what time you would need us the next morning, so we can plan around it?
This sits with
Other ideas families have used
- Lighting somethingA candle, a diya, an oil lamp. One flame lit by the eldest, or many lit one by one as…
- Food that gathers peopleWhat they cooked, or what they always asked for. People stay longer when there is food, and…
- A table of their lifeA long table, and the things they actually touched. Reading glasses, a tool from the shed,…