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.

35+ Heartfelt Condolence Text Messages: What to Say (and What to Avoid)

35+ Heartfelt Condolence Text Messages: What to Say (and What to Avoid)

There’s a moment that happens to almost everyone: you hear that someone has died, your chest tightens, and you open your phone to send a message—then freeze. You care. You...

Condolence Messages for Coworkers: Professional Sympathy Texts, Notes & Emails

Condolence Messages for Coworkers: Professional Sympathy Texts, Notes & Emails

The message arrives in the middle of a normal workday: “I’m out this week—my mom passed away.” Or someone mentions it quietly after a meeting. You feel the immediate human...

What to Say After a Funeral: Simple Phrases for Texts, Calls & Sympathy Cards

What to Say After a Funeral: Simple Phrases for Texts, Calls & Sympathy Cards

The day of the funeral is often filled with structure. There is a place to sit, something to hold, a sequence of events that carries everyone forward. Then the service...

Blue in Islam: Meaning, Symbolism, and the Psychology of Color

Blue in Islam: Meaning, Symbolism, and the Psychology of Color

There’s a reason so many people pause when they see blue in an Islamic space—on a tiled dome, a prayer rug, a glazed bowl, a patterned scarf, or a quiet...

Memorial Candle Etiquette: When and How to Use Candles at Funerals, Memorials, and Celebrations of Life

Memorial Candle Etiquette: When and How to Use Candles at Funerals, Memorials, and Celebrations of Life

A memorial candle can feel like one of the gentlest parts of saying goodbye. It does not demand the right words. It does not ask anyone to be “okay.” It...

Japanese Funeral Traditions Explained: Cremation, Kotsuage, Etiquette, and What to Expect

Japanese Funeral Traditions Explained: Cremation, Kotsuage, Etiquette, and What to Expect

If you have been invited to a Japanese funeral, or you are supporting someone whose family follows Japanese customs, it is completely normal to feel unsure about what will happen...

Why Is Black the Color of Mourning? History, Symbolism, and Modern Funeral Etiquette

Why Is Black the Color of Mourning? History, Symbolism, and Modern Funeral Etiquette

There’s a moment many people recognize: you’re standing in front of your closet, invited to a service for someone you cared about (or someone you respected), and you reach for...

Funeral Traditions in the U.S. vs Worldwide: Common Customs and Etiquette Explained

Funeral Traditions in the U.S. vs Worldwide: Common Customs and Etiquette Explained

Grief has a way of making time feel strange. One minute you’re answering practical questions, and the next you’re standing in a room where the rituals feel unfamiliar. Even in...

What to Wear to a Funeral: Color Meanings, Cultural Traditions, and Dress Etiquette

What to Wear to a Funeral: Color Meanings, Cultural Traditions, and Dress Etiquette

There’s a particular kind of quiet panic that can show up in the middle of grief: you open your closet, look at the ordinary clothes you wear to work or...

Colors of Mourning Around the World: What Black, White, Purple, and Red Can Mean

Colors of Mourning Around the World: What Black, White, Purple, and Red Can Mean

In the first days after a death, families often expect the “big” decisions to be the hard ones: choosing a service style, calling relatives, figuring out paperwork. But sometimes grief...

Colors of Mourning Around the World: What Funeral Colors Mean Across Cultures

Colors of Mourning Around the World: What Funeral Colors Mean Across Cultures

Grief has its own language, and color is one of the quietest ways we speak it. Many people grow up assuming funerals are “supposed” to look a certain way: dark...

U.S. Funeral Traditions Explained: Common Customs, Etiquette, and How Funerals Evolved

U.S. Funeral Traditions Explained: Common Customs, Etiquette, and How Funerals Evolved

Most people don’t set out to learn u.s. funeral traditions until they’re staring at a service time and trying to remember what happens next. American funerals can feel familiar and confusing...

Funeral Seating Etiquette for Immediate Family: Where to Sit and Procession Order

Funeral Seating Etiquette for Immediate Family: Where to Sit and Procession Order

When you are immediate family, you can feel two pressures at once: the private weight of loss, and the public feeling that people are watching you for cues. That is...

What Color Tie to Wear to a Funeral: Easy Rules for Men’s Funeral Tie Etiquette

What Color Tie to Wear to a Funeral: Easy Rules for Men’s Funeral Tie Etiquette

If you’re asking what color tie to wear to a funeral, you’re usually trying to solve a very practical problem: how to look respectful without overthinking it. Most men aren’t...

What to Wear to a Funeral or Memorial Service: Modern Dress Code, Colors & Etiquette

What to Wear to a Funeral or Memorial Service: Modern Dress Code, Colors & Etiquette

If you’re wondering what to wear to a funeral, you’re usually trying to do something very human: show up respectfully without making the day harder for anyone. Most people aren’t...

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...