Not your average funeral anymore

The funeral is transforming as Americans have begun thinking 'outside the box'. Funerals were once all about black and mourning, but now people are changing how they want to say goodbye to their friends and family. Gone are the days of funerals with the weepy, organ-heavy ceremonies. Funerals today are becoming less about mourning the death of someone but has evolved into the celebration of that persons life. The plain pine boxes are being replaced with custom-made caskets that reflect the personal preferences of the deceased. Sometimes the caskets or tombstones depicts the deceased's devotion to Sponge Bob square pants, deep-sea fishing, etc.  In place of traditional hearses that typically lead funeral processions, Harley s or Corvettes have been used instead. Cremations have been becoming a popular alternative instead of the traditional burial. The cremated remains are sometimes fashioned into jewelry, fused into artwork, and stuffed into fireworks for those who want an exit with a real bang. In the past, some made the hair of the deceased into jewelry so using the cremated remains and making them into jewelry is a similar aspect. 

Grave markers were simpler in earlier times. Sometimes just a pile of stones was used to mark the  grave and sometimes a small boulder was carved by a family member with the deceased’s name and date of death. Once commercial stone cutters began making their services, they often used slate because it is softer and easier to work with .






Hall, M. ( 22 Oct 2013). Grave debate over soldier's SpongeBob headstone
retrived 11/30/2013  http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2013/oct/22/spongebob-cemetery-headstone-ohio-soldier-sister/
Takeuchi Cullen, L., Bonesteel, A., DeQuine, J., Ressner, J., Dale, S., & Whitaker, L. (2003). What a Way to Go. Time, 162(1), 88.