The last few years have brought huge changes to the way our society plans and holds funerals.
The COVID-19 pandemic forced us to rethink the way we said goodbye to our loved ones, from direct cremation to the use of technology. Although the biggest changes were forced by public health restrictions, many of the practices introduced during the pandemic may find a place in the future of funerals.
Direct cremation
Limits on the number of people allowed to attend funerals forced many people to reduce the size of the funeral services they organised during the pandemic. As people scaled back, for the first time since insurance company SunLife began researching funeral costs in 2004, the cost of funerals in the UK fell. The average cost of a basic funeral dropped 3.1% to £4,056.
Costs came down with the reduction in the number of mourners allowed to attend and limits on cars and wakes. Direct cremation became the most practical option for many families and almost a quarter of all funerals carried out between February 2020 and July 2021 were direct cremations. This compares with just 3% in 2019.
In the future, rising public awareness of direct cremation is likely to see the popularity of this style of funeral continue. And at a time when the cost of living is increasing drastically, it is one of the most affordable funeral options, cutting out the cost of cars, flowers and many other extras. This no-fuss funeral also gives people the flexibility to plan a memorial service or wake at a time that is convenient for the family rather than to suit busy crematorium schedules.
Funeral attendance
One of the hardest parts of the COVID-19 pandemic for many people was the inability to attend the funerals of friends and family. With attendance restricted to the closest family members and even then with social distancing imposed, the traditional intimacy of family funerals was lost.
Comfort for some was found in the use of technology that allowed people to participate in funeral services virtually. The vast majority of funeral directors reported the use of technology to record and stream video in 2021. Almost 70% identified video as the biggest funeral technology trend in SunLife’s 2022 report. More than 40% saw families invite people using social media and 20% had services recorded.
During the pandemic, technology provided a lifeline for families that were prevented from attending funerals due to restrictions. But looking ahead, video streaming technology in particular will make it much easier for friends and family overseas to feel part of a funeral service. SunLife survey respondents also noted that, if they wanted it, the video recording was a reminder of the day.
Funeral attitudes
Public attitudes to funeral planning are still changing according to this year’s SunLife Cost of Dying report. Celebration of life funerals continue to be popular, with almost half of the funeral services in 2021 being described this way. In comparison, 41% described the service they organised as a remembrance funeral and less than a third as a traditional funeral.
Three quarters of funeral directors reported an increase in celebration of life services and 65% said that the number of traditional or religious funerals they organised had fallen.
The focus of celebration of life funerals is very much on the person that has passed, with elements of the service - from the journey to the crematorium to the choice of funeral music - reflecting their personal taste. According to the SunLife survey, for many families, the more personal approach to the funeral involves light-hearted speeches, children in attendance and brightly coloured clothing.
The environment
For others, strong environmental considerations are important and this element of funeral planning is also likely to play a more important part in the future of funerals. While it is difficult to compare the environmental impact of burial and cremation, greener options like woodland burial are likely to become more popular in the future. Held in designated woodland areas, these don’t involve embalming, with burial plots typically unmarked or marked with trees or flowers.
With more traditional funerals, environmentally friendly coffins are available, made from biodegradable materials such as recycled paper, willow or wicker. And longer term, developing funeral technologies like water cremation and composting may come to play a part in how we arrange the funerals of the future.
