Life is all about maintaining a balance! Just like how you can have fun at a wedding and dance the night away there comes a time when you have to attend a ceremony that is the complete opposite. Since death is inevitable, you cannot dodge the chance of attending a funeral. Be it a friend or a relative, you have to make sure you attend the funeral ceremony and pay your last rites. However, there are a certain set of basic protocols that must be kept in mind when attending a funeral. Here are the top 5 things that you must avoid doing at a funeral.
Dress According To the Occasion
It is important that you do not forget the purpose of the occasion. Do not make the mistake of arriving at the funeral dressed in an outfit that is suitable for a party or wedding. Make sure you choose an outfit that isn’t too revealing and not very eye-catching or one that has too much bling. Choose something simple and decent that is appropriate for the occasion.
Capturing the Moment
There are many occasions taking pictures is considered to be quite normal. However, a funeral is not a place to capture pictures of the ceremony or take selfies with your loved ones. There are certain rules to be followed and taking pictures is generally frowned upon during such serious occasions. However, if you really need to take a picture of the deceased in order to keep it as a memory, make sure you do so, discreetly.
Watch Your Words!
If you are given the responsibility of delivering an obituary speech, make sure you choose your words wisely. Do not get carried away and narrate personal incidents related to the deceased or a story that you know he/she wouldn’t like being talked about in public. Make sure you write a speech that is heartfelt and unlikely to hurt anyone in the audience.
Not Respecting the Deceased
One of the most common things the funeral director often complains about is that people tend to arrive late and disturb the entire service. If you have been given time to arrive, then make sure you arrive ahead of time or at least at the exact time. Do not arrive late and start looking for a seat and disturbing the others.
Keep the Phone Aside
The first thing to do before you enter a funeral service is to switch off your phone or keep it on silent. You wouldn’t want your phone to ring in the middle of a quiet service and cause several heads to turn and glare at you, would you? Apart from this, make sure you avoid texting or constantly checking your phone as this may seem disrespectful.
Most people tend to lack the basic knowledge regarding funeral etiquette and end up behaving in such a manner that can hurt the close family members of the deceased and the others who are attending the ceremony. Therefore, it is important to be made aware of these basic funeral etiquettes in order to avoid making those around you extremely uncomfortable.