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.

What to Wear to a Catholic Funeral: Modesty Guidelines, Colors, and Outfit Examples

What to Wear to a Catholic Funeral: Modesty Guidelines, Colors, and Outfit Examples

If you’re searching what to wear to a catholic funeral, you’re probably trying to solve two problems at once. You want to show respect, and you also don’t want to...

How People Honor the Dead Around the World: Traditions, Rituals, and Modern Memorial Ideas

How People Honor the Dead Around the World: Traditions, Rituals, and Modern Memorial Ideas

In the days after a death, families often discover something surprising: grief is personal, but mourning is also deeply cultural. Even if you’ve never thought about “ritual” in your own...

Is It Okay to Split Ashes After Cremation? Etiquette, Religion, and Practical Tips

Is It Okay to Split Ashes After Cremation? Etiquette, Religion, and Practical Tips

For many families, the question arrives quietly. The cremation is complete, the temporary container comes home, and suddenly you’re holding something that feels both ordinary and sacred at the same...

Keeping Ashes at Home: Pros, Cons, Safety, and Cultural Considerations (Australia + Beyond)

Keeping Ashes at Home: Pros, Cons, Safety, and Cultural Considerations (Australia + Beyond)

There is a particular moment that arrives after cremation—sometimes quietly, sometimes all at once—when a family realizes the question is no longer “What happens next?” but “What do we want...

Famous Mothers and Their Memorials: 15 Iconic Moms and How They’re Remembered

Famous Mothers and Their Memorials: 15 Iconic Moms and How They’re Remembered

When people talk about famous mothers memorials, they’re usually reaching for something deeper than celebrity. They’re trying to understand how love lasts. A mother’s impact can be public or private,...

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....