Bereavement a time to be thoughtful

When become aware that someone has passed away, your first impulse is to send a gift to the deceased’s family in their time of grief, but make sure you know and follow correct funeral gift etiquette according to their culture. There is a variety of gifts that you might consider sending to the sorrowful family that will ease their distress and send the message that your thoughts are with them in their time of hardship.

Food: Perhaps the most welcome gift during a time of grief is that of food. Whether you have dinners delivered or drop by with a casserole, the message is that you are thoughtful of the family’s loss. However, be insightful about intruding on the family’s time when bringing the gift. A brief visit of about 15 minutes is suitable to deliver the food and communicate condolences. Proper funeral gift etiquette for food is to give items that require little preparation, such as a sympathy gift basket or a comfort food gift basket. Even if you think that many people will give food, your sympathy gift basket will last of many weeks without being opened since all the items are shelf stable.

Flowers: The most common funeral gift is flowers. Before you send any, find out if there are certain conditions for funeral flowers depending on the religious association of the deceased. For example, Jewish funeral traditions don’t incorporate flowers while other gifts are considered more proper. Others, such as Hindus or Muslims, don’t consider funeral flowers as conventional, but the gesture may be seen as caring by certain groups. Funeral flowers for a Catholic, LDS or Buddhist funerals are correct and welcomed. Consult a florist if you have any doubts, they will be well versed in varioustraditions for funerals.

Gifts to Charity: Memorial gifts are a popular tradition that allows money that would normally be spent on pricey floral arrangements to be designated for a specific organization, charity or event. By and large, the family will state a preferred charity in the funeral announcement and ask for donations in lieu of gifts. Don’t breach funeral gift etiquette by sending flowers if the family has specifically asked not to.

After the Funeral: Funeral gift etiquette too allows friends and family members to send a fruit and cheese gift basket in the days and years after a funeral. A sincere card or memento on the anniversary of the funeral sends the message that you care about family members and remember their loss. Even following up with family members a few weeks after the funeral with a meal or a potted plant can have a big impact on the grieving heart.

Funeral gift etiquette suggests that family members send a thank you card for the bereavement gift baskets or services they received during a time of mourning, don’t be offended if you don’t receive one at all or if it arrives several weeks or months after the funeral. When someone is dealing with grief, time can slip by fast. http://www.basketsbyrita.com