People who aren’t involved in the funeral industry may not understand a lot of the terms that come up while they’re planning a funeral or memorial service. To help our neighbors in Turnersville navigate this unfamiliar territory, our team at  Egizi Funeral Home put together a list of 7 unusual funeral terms you may not know.

 

Preplanning

An ever-present term in the funeral community, preplanning involves putting your funeral and burial preferences in writing ahead of time. We encourage preplanning a funeral to take the stress of decision-making from your children and loved ones after you’re gone.  

 

Eulogy

You may already be familiar with what a eulogy is, as it’s a common element of many funeral services. A eulogy is a speech written to honor the deceased. Many people confuse a eulogy with an elegy, which is a poem or song performed as a tribute to someone who has died.

 

Personalization

Perhaps you already have a personalized computer desktop background or monogrammed bath towels, but did you know you can also personalize a funeral or memorial service? At Simpson, we encourage personalization as a way to celebrate each individual’s unique life and personality.

 

Columbarium

Most people are familiar with cremation and what it entails. The lesser-known columbarium is a space or room made up of shelves or niches for storing cremation urns. Originally built in the early Roman Empire when cremation was a popular end-of-life practice, this type of storage is gaining in popularity as more people choose cremation over a traditional burial.

 

Pallbearer

Originally referring to the cloth draped over a coffin, the term pallbearer refers to the person or people charged with carrying the casket at a funeral. 

 

Honorarium

Oftentimes, the deceased’s family offers a pastor or clergy member an honorarium for officiating a funeral or memorial service. An honorarium is a payment made to an individual for performing a free service. It is not unusual for an organist or musician who plays at a funeral to also receive an honorarium.

 

Aftercare

Grief is an unpredictable facet of loss. Funeral aftercare exists to help people who are grieving the death of a loved one. Aftercare can involve things like counseling, therapy, and grief support groups.

 

Our compassionate team is dedicated to serving our neighbors throughout the Turnersville area. Feel free to send a message or call with any questions you may have about funerals or funeral-related terms. We are happy to help!