Resources

Home Funerals

Throughout most of human history, families and religious communities have cared for their own dead, with customs changing dramatically since the Civil War. In fact, many Jewish and Muslim communities have never stopped caring for their own and continue to do so to this day.

Home funeral vigils are an increasingly popular option for families – especially for those who die at home on hospice.

Benefits of a home funeral vigil include:

• Creating the spirit of community as family and friends gather together for support, grieving, and life celebration.
• Having vigils last as long as the family wishes – from a few hours up to three days.
• Providing freedom of spiritual expression with the space and time to create exactly what those left behind really need.
• Being much more cost-effective than conventional funeral options and tailored to fit a family’s lifestyle and budget.
• Using dry ice and refrigeration to preserve the body instead of embalming. Families can choose cremation, green, or conventional burial for the final disposition. The opportunity to not embalm goes hand in hand with green burials, making home funeral vigils a natural and sustainable death practice.

Once the Home Funeral Vigil is completed and a death certificate has been filed, burial, cremation, alkaline hydrolysis, or natural organic reduction may take place.

For more information we recommend the following resources:

• Directory of Home Funeral Resources
• National Home Funeral Alliance
• the book Undertaken With Love
• local WA funeral home A Sacred Moment