The Funeral.com Journal

Resources to help you create tributes as unique as the people (and pets) you love. Learn how engraving, photos, colors, and symbols add meaning; discover scattering rituals and at-home memorial ideas. We focus on the details that matter—because small choices can carry a lifetime of comfort.

Mourning Colors Beyond Black: Cultural Meanings and How to Choose Memorial Colors

Mourning Colors Beyond Black: Cultural Meanings and How to Choose Memorial Colors

When someone dies, families often find themselves making decisions while still in shock—what kind of service to hold, what to say in an obituary, whether to choose burial or cremation,...

Candles in Memorial Traditions: Meaning, Etiquette, and Day of the Dead Ofrenda Ideas

Candles in Memorial Traditions: Meaning, Etiquette, and Day of the Dead Ofrenda Ideas

There are moments in grief when words feel too heavy to lift. A phone call you can’t quite make yet. A closet you can’t open. A song you can’t play...

Memorial Candle Colors and Meanings: Choosing the Right Candle for Funerals, Anniversaries, and Remembrance

Memorial Candle Colors and Meanings: Choosing the Right Candle for Funerals, Anniversaries, and Remembrance

There are moments in grief when words feel too sharp, or too small. A candle is gentler. It gives your hands something to do, your eyes something to rest on,...

Memorial Day Poppies: History, Meaning, and Simple Ways to Honor Veterans

Memorial Day Poppies: History, Meaning, and Simple Ways to Honor Veterans

Memorial Day can arrive quietly and still feel heavy. Even in families that are “doing okay,” the weekend has a way of bringing names back to the surface, especially for...

Funeral Colors and Dress Code: When Black Isn’t Required

Funeral Colors and Dress Code: When Black Isn’t Required

Standing in front of your closet before a service can feel strangely stressful. You want to show up with care, not distraction. You want the family to feel supported, not...

What Does “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” Really Mean at a Funeral?

What Does “Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust” Really Mean at a Funeral?

There is a particular kind of quiet that falls over a graveside. Even if the day has been full of movement—cars arriving, greetings exchanged, tissues offered, people trying to say...

Famous Mothers & Symbols of Motherhood: Memorial Ideas, Flowers, and Meaningful Tributes

Famous Mothers & Symbols of Motherhood: Memorial Ideas, Flowers, and Meaningful Tributes

Some losses split time in two: the life you had with your mother, and the life you’re learning to live without her. When that happens, many families reach for the...

15 Famous Mothers in History and Pop Culture—and How Their Memorials Keep Their Stories Alive

15 Famous Mothers in History and Pop Culture—and How Their Memorials Keep Their Stories Alive

Some mothers become famous because history recorded their choices. Others become famous because a story—on a page or a screen—captured a kind of love people recognized instantly. Either way, what...

Which Religions Prefer Cremation? Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh Traditions and What Families Do With Ashes

Which Religions Prefer Cremation? Hindu, Buddhist, Sikh Traditions and What Families Do With Ashes

When a death happens, families often discover that the hardest decisions aren’t only practical. They’re emotional, and sometimes deeply spiritual. Even if your loved one wasn’t especially religious, faith traditions...

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings

If you’ve ever walked through a veterans cemetery or a section of military graves on Memorial Day, you’ve probably noticed how quiet the details can be. A small flag placed...

What Is a Wake in Modern Funerals? Origins, Traditions, and How It Looks Today

What Is a Wake in Modern Funerals? Origins, Traditions, and How It Looks Today

If you grew up hearing the word “wake,” you might picture a home full of people who knew exactly where to stand, what to bring, and how long to stay....

What Do the Colors of the American Flag Mean? Red, White, and Blue Explained

What Do the Colors of the American Flag Mean? Red, White, and Blue Explained

Some symbols feel louder in grief than they ever did in ordinary life. A folded flag at the end of a service. A small flag tucked into flowers at a...

Why Are Carnations a Funeral Flower?

Why Are Carnations a Funeral Flower?

Funerals are moments filled with profound emotion, where love, grief, and remembrance come together in quiet, meaningful ways. During these times, every detail matters, especially the flowers chosen to honor...

Hair Memorial Jewelry: From Victorian Traditions to Modern Lock-of-Hair Keepsakes

Hair Memorial Jewelry: From Victorian Traditions to Modern Lock-of-Hair Keepsakes

There’s a particular kind of comfort in what’s small. In the days after a death, families often move through big decisions—paperwork, phone calls, schedules, costs—while the heart keeps reaching for...

Is It Bad Luck to Keep Ashes in the House? Comfort, Myths, and Practical Choices

Is It Bad Luck to Keep Ashes in the House? Comfort, Myths, and Practical Choices

After a loved one is cremated, one question quietly arises more often than people admit: “Is it bad luck to keep ashes in the house?” For some, having an urn...

Headstone Symbols and Icons: Common Images and What They Mean

Headstone Symbols and Icons: Common Images and What They Mean

There’s a particular kind of quiet that settles over a cemetery. Even when the world is loud outside the gates, the space between headstones has its own pace—slower, softer, more...