Funeral Etiquette: Gift Ideas When Someone Has Lost a Loved One

Gifts allow you to express sympathy to someone who is coping with the loss of a loved one. However, only certain types of gifts should be given, to ensure that your message of sympathy is clear and has the desired effect. Here are three types of gifts appropriate for funeral services:

Flowers Unless the funeral etiquette of the deceased’s faith tradition dictates otherwise, flowers are an appropriate way of showing someone who has just lost a loved one that you care. Lilies are one of the most common flowers used to show sympathy, but you can also use roses, mums, gladioli, or even a growing plant.

Food Basket When a person passes, his or her family must immediately undertake a number of stressful tasks. Every family member needs time to grieve, first and foremost, but they also need to choose a type of burial service, decide how to cover costs, and handle other important tasks. Free up some of their time by sending them a food basket so that they will not have to worry about making dinner. You can fill yours with cheeses, fruit, cured meats, and other food items.

Memorial Gifts This could be as simple as sending the deceased’s family a picture of their lost loved one with a personal note, or creating a scrapbook full of memories and distributing them to friends and families. No matter how big or small, a memorial gift can help the deceased’s family cope with their grief.

Chapel of the Chimes Oakland is here to help you after the loss of a loved one. Our professional funeral directors will gladly step in and help you plan a beautiful funeral service for your loved one, from the memorial to the cremation or burial. Call us at (510) 654-0123 if you would like to learn more about the services we offer.