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Burial clothes - why so formal?

When I am cremated (or ascend to a higher plane due to my ever-evolving intelligence), I want to do so wearing a tiara.

Personally, I plan to be cremated or fed to wild animals. Therefore, it does not matter what I am wearing.

I'm going to be cremated with no prior viewing, so as far as I'm concerned I can be shoved into the oven butt naked. No point burning up a good outfit which could be donated. According to my Catholic upbringing where I'm going it's going to be damned hot anyway.


Did not wander into this thread intending to snerk!

Am now actually leaninging towards cremation too, so suppose clothing pretty much a non-issue.
 
Am now actually leaninging towards cremation too, so suppose clothing pretty much a non-issue.

Depends on your cultural/religious traditions or whether you or your family want to have an open casket viewing before the cremation to provide some closure.

I recommend that people specify these things formally for their families though regardless of your age or health, so your wishes are carried out and so things can go as smoothly for your families as possible, because they'll already be grieving and having to spend a lot of money and make arrangements. You don't want them arguing about what you would have wanted to do as well.
 
I've had to make that decision in a hurry and agree.

I hate it when my parents start talking about what they want at their funeral and such, but knowing ahead of time would reduce confusion at an already terrible time.

I don't want a memorial service, I suppose I'll have to have that tattooed somewhere on me for clarification?
 
Kim, that's an excellent idea. My father had already discussed all the aspects of his will with my oldest brother, who is the executor, and had chosen the readings and hymns he wanted at the funeral service (the most fire and brimstone funeral I've ever attended. Thanks, Dad), but he left no details as to whether he wanted a reception, a speech, or anything like that. My youngest brother blew up at my oldest brother because the latter made a speech and the former didn't even want a reception. All I wanted to do was smack the both of them and make them stand in opposite corners of the room because nobody needs that kind of squabbling at an already stressful time.
 
I'll have it in close proximity to my knitting tatt!

As for your father's funeral, it might not be natural if everyone agreed. It sure wouldn't be if everyone in mine did regarding important decisions.

I can see mom and dad's exasperation: "They wait until we're dead to finally agree?!"
 
Yeah, not natural, but it's not stress you need there and then, especially when you're still completely jetlagged and can't think straight on a good day.
 
In the US, you can not only put your arrangement wishes in writing at the funeral home... you can also pay for it in advance.

My grandmother wanted straight burial... no flowers, no viewing, no graveside service. It was pre-paid as such, many years prior. When she died my brother insisted on a viewing with all the extras. He did NOT, however, pay for any of it... I got stuck with that bill.

As I said before: simple cremation or feed me to the wild animals!
 
My funeral's paid for and my headstone has been up for at least 15 years. I figure I will be put in a skirt, top, and either a jacket or sweater. I plan on being buried. If I was going for comfort in the clothing department, I'd be in a nightgown and robe.
 
We buried my Gram in jeans and a sweatshirt. It was what she always wore, in fact I don't think by that point she even owned anything dressier. Maybe the slacks and sweater she wore to my sister's wedding. Anyway, we're pretty sure she would have been happy with our decision. It comforted us (particularly my mom).

Me, I plan on being cremated. They can toss me in there naked, or do the Viking funeral pyre thing, whatever. My husband wants to be frozen, so we've got both extremes covered.
 
We buried my Gram in jeans and a sweatshirt. It was what she always wore, in fact I don't think by that point she even owned anything dressier. Maybe the slacks and sweater she wore to my sister's wedding. Anyway, we're pretty sure she would have been happy with our decision. It comforted us (particularly my mom).

Me, I plan on being cremated. They can toss me in there naked, or do the Viking funeral pyre thing, whatever. My husband wants to be frozen, so we've got both extremes covered.

Does your husband want Full Body Frozen or just Head Frozen?
 
I am vaguely intrigued by the Sky Burials... it seems so horrifying, yet completely natural when you think of it. On the other hand, getting all putrefied inside a coffin isn't particularly alluring, too.

I guess it's only about what kind of horror are you accustomed to.
 
I have only been to one funeral where anybody could see the body so it didn't really matter what they wore.
 
I'll end up as a skull on someone's desk.

The rest of me I'd like to have cremated whilst wearing my finest suit of dynamite.
 
I have talked to my sons about what I want and they have agreed.

A unattended cremation that I will pre-pay. Cheapest coffin available. No flowers. No death notice. I don't care what I am wearing in the coffin.

On a nice day they can have picnic or barbeque and scatter my ashes at my favourite beach along with the ashes of my beloved Miss Chicken (and any other cat that I have had cremated before my death). Play a couple of my favourite songs during the picnic including Monty Python's Bright Side of Life and Janis Ian's At Seventeen.

I don't want anyone who hasn't bothered to visit me during the last years of my life to be invited to the scattering of my ashes.

If it was legal, which unfortunately it isn't, I would love my body to be tossed out in the bush for the Tasmanian devils to eat.
 
Miss Chicken, that sounds ideal, even the bushmeat bit. ;) I'm not interested in having a service, either. Thinking about it, this is something I should discuss with my husband and older kids, as we need to update our wills anyway.

My youngest brother has already purchased the cemetery plot next to my parents. As it's just north of Toronto, where house prices are very high, he jokes about making his fortune by building a very bijou condo on his plot and selling it to the highest bidder.
 
I am down for medical experiments, so i suspect by the time they are done with me i will be spending eternity in various plastic bags, but on the plus side i won't ever get wet when it rains. :techman:
 
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