Navigating Memorial Event Terminology

While planning a memorial, you will undoubtedly be exposed to numerous new terms. Wake…funeral…celebration of life…what does each term mean, and which option is best for you? Dealing with grief is difficult enough without the added stress of research. Below are some common death service terms broken down, all of which we offer here at AWAKE.

Ash Scattering

Returning your loved one’s ashes to the earth is a symbolic, healing ritual. This involves taking the cremated ashes of the deceased to a specific spot and scattering them to return to the earth.

Many choose to scatter ashes in a place loved by the deceased. In Canada, you can scatter ashes on private property, either your own or someone else’s (with permission), on Crown land, and bodies of water managed by the government. Many cemeteries also offer a place within their property for scattering.

We strongly encourage all ashes be mixed with Let Your Love Grow before scattering to ensure biodegradability.

Ash Planting

Ash planting involves mixing Let Your Love Grow soil with the deceased ashes, and using the mixture to give life to a new plant. Not all ashes need to be used in an ash planting, making it possible to combined a scattering and planting ceremony together.

Wake

A wake is an informal viewing or visitation. It is a time for loved ones to see the physical body of the deceased as an opportunity to say farewell, while also coming together to grieve. It is typically a much larger event, where people can come and go between an allocated time period as they please.

Funeral

A funeral is a more formal service with a designated time. They are often held in conjunction with a wake and take place at a church or funeral home. As an observed event, loved ones provide eulogies, and at times the event is completed with a burial of the deceased’s body.

Celebration of Life

Celebrations of Life and funerals both honour the deceased and provide a space for loved ones to gather and grieve, however, they can be very different events. Celebrations of Life focus on the life of the deceased, celebrating their impact on their loved ones lives, rather than focusing on their death. These events can be held anywhere, from banquet halls to your backyard. Celebrations of life tend to blend the traditional elements of a funeral with speeches/eulogies and formal gathering with a more modern twist, giving bereaved family and friends the opportunity to grieve while also celebrating the person they have lost.

Photos by Marika Brooks and Roam & Ramble