hestiaIdeas for a farewell
Caring for them yourselves
Washing and dressing someone is work many families want to do with their own hands, and it is often possible. Some call it Ghusl, some Tahara, some simply washing them. It can happen at the funeral home, in their preparation room, with staff close by or well out of the way.
How it can look
- The whole family present, with a member of the community guiding.
- Two or three people only, quietly, with no one else in the building.
- Being present without taking part, which is enough for many people.
Words you can use with a funeral director
Our family would like to wash and dress them ourselves. Is your preparation room available to families, how much time could we have, and can you arrange for someone of the same gender to be the one who assists?
This sits with
Other ideas families have used
- Not leaving them aloneSomeone staying with them from death until burial, in shifts through the night. Often…
- Keeping it plainA plain pine box, or a shroud and nothing else. For some families this is what their…
- Lighting somethingA candle, a diya, an oil lamp. One flame lit by the eldest, or many lit one by one as…