1. Enhances Participation - Offers opportunities for participation which fosters healing from grief. Rochelle Martin of Ontario’s Home Funeral Alternatives says “family and friends become involved in the many tasks of the vigil process creating a spirit of community. Most people are grateful for an opportunity to show their love by helping. They feel useful and needed, rather than at a loss for what to do, during this difficult time.”
3. Slows Things Down - Home Funeral Vigils (whether DIY or Hybrids (with licensed funeral assistance) provide lots of time to help absorb and accept the harsh reality of death allowing for final, beautiful expressions of love.
4. You Create Your Own End-of-Life Rituals You, your family, friends, and community circles can creatively craft/fashion all kinds of personalized rituals and ceremonies.
5. Positive Modelling for Children - When adults are seen grieving, praising, laughing, crying, honouring… dealing directly with death in a home setting, children are bound to develop less death denial and related neurosis as adults.
6. Positive Modelling for Other Adults - When adults are seen reclaiming lost aspects of family-led death care, including building/painting/decorating/personalizing, caskets; designing and performing all kinds of wonderful healing rituals... it’s encouragement for others to do likewise!
7. 100% Environmentally Respectful- Home Funerals forgo toxic, formaldehyde embalming, use of metal caskets, concrete burial vaults, etc. You'll can offset your carbon footprint by choosing green burial or mitigate the negative effects of cremation through purchasing carbon credits, planting trees, etc. By requesting 'green' or botanical-based embalming fluids you'll be protecting funeral home workers' health.