Family People Send Deceased Condolences Acceptable Funeral Giving

Funerals are sad times, and when a family member or friend dies, people reach out and express their condolences in different ways. In the U.S., when someone dies, it is common to call the family to give them your condolences. Some send sympathy cards to tell the deceased's family that they are sorry for their loss and are thinking about them. It is also acceptable to send flowers to the home of the "deceased," or the person who has died, or to send them to the funeral home for the funeral. If the person is religious and was of the Catholic religion, people may send Mass cards, which are cards that tell the deceased person's family of arrangements or plans for a church "Mass," or Catholic religious ceremony to be said in their memory.

Attending the wake, funeral service, or the burial is also a way to offer and show support. Most people wear dark and simple clothing to these events and sign the "registry book," a blank book at the funeral, so that the deceased person's family will know that they were there. It is also acceptable to say kind words and make personal comments to remember the good things about the deceased like, "Julianne was always thinking of others before herself," or "She has so many friends." It is normally acceptable for people who attend the funeral service to go with the family to the cemetery for the burial. All of these are ways to honor or "pay respects" to the deceased and his or her family, and to tell them that you are also affected by the death of the person.