DominusTecum
Familiar Face
- Messages
- 78
- Location
- Kansas, USA
Bebop was the first to express this good point, earlier: "Point being, funerals are very personal to everyone that attends and sometimes it's alright to not be in uniform." Now, of course, we should try to dress appropriately, because very rarely will there be exceptions where there's an explicit circumstance to make us do differently. As we honor the age-old standards of formal, somber attire for funerals, we are honoring in our own way the deceased. It should, of course, be the way that everyone else honors the deceased as well, but it's hardly our problem if other people don't know any better. The motivation is key here: If I'm dressing in a black suit and a homburg, I'm doing it not because I want to show off my newest hat or coat, but because I want to honor the deceased. On the other hand, if I do it selfishly, to show off, then obviously I'm wrong to do this and I should reconsider seriously why I'm going to this funeral.
Regarding flowers, I can say that they're very expensive these days. I don't know whether they're more expensive than they used to be, proportionally, or if the inflation is just particularly noticeable in the floral department, but I know that when my grandfather, father, and uncle died in the mid-90s, there were massive amounts of flowers at each of their funerals, more than we could deal with, almost. Conversely, when my grandmother died in 2003, there were very few flowers, just the casket spray and perhaps 1-2 other arrangements. Most people preferred to spend their money on a potted plant, with the rationale that it would grow and the family could keep it around the house as a "memorial of the deceased," or somesuch, whereas flowers were more expensive and would wilt shortly. People respect the deceased, but unless they are close family, they usually balk at being asked to shell out $40 for a floral arrangement -as I recall, even potted plants usually start at around $30.
Regarding flowers, I can say that they're very expensive these days. I don't know whether they're more expensive than they used to be, proportionally, or if the inflation is just particularly noticeable in the floral department, but I know that when my grandfather, father, and uncle died in the mid-90s, there were massive amounts of flowers at each of their funerals, more than we could deal with, almost. Conversely, when my grandmother died in 2003, there were very few flowers, just the casket spray and perhaps 1-2 other arrangements. Most people preferred to spend their money on a potted plant, with the rationale that it would grow and the family could keep it around the house as a "memorial of the deceased," or somesuch, whereas flowers were more expensive and would wilt shortly. People respect the deceased, but unless they are close family, they usually balk at being asked to shell out $40 for a floral arrangement -as I recall, even potted plants usually start at around $30.