7 Unusual Funeral Terms You May Not Know

People who aren’t involved in the funeral industry may not understand a lot of the terms that come up while they’re planning a funeral or memorial service. To help our neighbors in Northeast Ohio and beyond navigate this unfamiliar territory, our team at Calhoun Funeral Home & Cremation Service put together a list of 7 unusual funeral terms you may not know.

  1. Preplanning

An ever-present term in the funeral community, preplanning involves putting your funeral and burial preferences in writing ahead of time. We encourage preplanning a funeral to take the stress of decision-making from your children and loved ones after you’re gone.  

  1. Eulogy

You may already be familiar with a eulogy, as it’s a common element of many funeral services. A eulogy is a speech written to honor the deceased. Many people confuse a eulogy with an elegy, which is a poem or song performed as a tribute to someone who has died.

  1. Personalization

Perhaps you already have a personalized computer desktop background or monogrammed bath towels, but did you know you can also personalize a funeral or memorial service? At Calhoun, we encourage personalization as a way to celebrate each individual’s unique life and personality.

  1. Columbarium

Most people are familiar with cremation and what it entails. The lesser-known columbarium is a space or room made up of shelves or niches for storing cremation urns. Originally built in the early Roman Empire when cremation was a popular end-of-life practice, this type of storage is gaining in popularity as more people choose cremation over a traditional burial.

  1. Pallbearer

Originally referring to the cloth draped over a coffin, the term pallbearer refers to the person or people charged with carrying the casket at a funeral.

  1. Honorarium

Oftentimes, the deceased’s family offers a pastor or clergy member an honorarium for officiating a funeral or memorial service. An honorarium is a payment made to an individual for performing a free service. It is not unusual for an organist or musician who plays at a funeral to also receive an honorarium.

  1. Aftercare

Grief is an unpredictable facet of loss. Funeral aftercare exists to help people who are grieving the death of a loved one. Aftercare can involve things like counseling, therapy, and grief support groups.

Our compassionate team is dedicated to serving our neighbors throughout Northeast Ohio. Feel free to send a message or call with any questions you have about funerals or funeral-related terms. We are happy to help!