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.

Military Flag Shadow Boxes: Display Options, Etiquette, and How to Protect the Flag Long‑Term - Funeral.com, Inc.

Military Flag Shadow Boxes: Display Options, Etiquette, and How to Protect the Flag Long‑Term

The folded flag is often the moment everything becomes real. You may remember the precise way it was handed to you—carefully, intentionally, with a level of respect that can feel...

The History of Embalming in America: Civil War Origins and How the Practice Spread - Funeral.com, Inc.

The History of Embalming in America: Civil War Origins and How the Practice Spread

If you’ve ever sat across from a funeral director and heard the word “embalming,” you may have felt two things at once: curiosity and uncertainty. Some families picture an old-fashioned...

VA Burial Benefits Explained: Burial Allowance, Headstones, Flags, and Reimbursement Basics - Funeral.com, Inc.

VA Burial Benefits Explained: Burial Allowance, Headstones, Flags, and Reimbursement Basics

When a Veteran dies, families often find themselves trying to do two hard things at once: grieve and manage logistics. In the middle of calls, paperwork, and decisions that feel...

Military and Veteran Cremation Urns: VA Commemorative Urn/Plaque, Branch Emblems, and Burial Benefits - Funeral.com, Inc.

Military and Veteran Cremation Urns: VA Commemorative Urn/Plaque, Branch Emblems, and Burial Benefits

When someone you love has served, planning their memorial can feel like you’re trying to hold two big truths at once: the pride of their service, and the tenderness of...

Flag Folding and Presentation at a Veteran’s Funeral: Meaning and What to Expect - Funeral.com, Inc.

Flag Folding and Presentation at a Veteran’s Funeral: Meaning and What to Expect

There is a particular kind of quiet that settles in at the end of a veteran’s funeral. It might be at the graveside, at a committal shelter, or at the...

Burial in a National Cemetery: Eligibility, Costs, and How to Apply - Funeral.com, Inc.

Burial in a National Cemetery: Eligibility, Costs, and How to Apply

When a loved one served, families often carry two realities at the same time: pride and grief, gratitude and paperwork, the desire to honor a life well-lived and the need...

Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space - Funeral.com, Inc.

Visiting a National Cemetery: Etiquette, Photography Rules, and How to Honor the Space

There are places that ask something quiet of us the moment we arrive. A national cemetery is one of them. Even before you read a sign or see a uniform,...

Military Headstone Symbols and Abbreviations: How to Read a Veteran’s Grave - Funeral.com, Inc.

Military Headstone Symbols and Abbreviations: How to Read a Veteran’s Grave

The first time you stand in front of a veteran’s grave, you might notice how much is said in so few lines. A name. Two dates. A short row of...

Why People Leave Coins on Military Headstones: Penny, Nickel, Dime, and Quarter Meanings - Funeral.com, Inc.

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 Do the Colors of the American Flag Mean? Red, White, and Blue Explained - Funeral.com, Inc.

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...