Today, the 22nd November 2024 is the very first Funeral Celebrant Day - a day to celebrate the celebrants! I think it should involve cake, but then I think most things should involve cake!
In all honesty, it's been put together to highlight the work that we as celebrants do and help make families aware of the options that are available to them when it comes to organising a loved ones funeral.
Until you're actually faced with organising a funeral, most people have no idea what options are available to you. I remember going to see the Funeral Director with my dad and sister after my mum had died and having no idea what we should be doing. The Funeral Director was great, she talked us through lots of different options and as soon as we said we didn't want anything religious, she recommended a celebrant. None of us had ever heard of a celebrant, but it was absolutely the right fit for us as a family.
After my dad passed away we used the same celebrant for his service, we were able to request her services.
It wasn't until after my aunty died and I got chatting to the celebrant that led her service, that I decided the time was right for me to become a celebrant. I signed up to do my training and four years on and it's a job that I feel so lucky and honoured to do. You can read more about my journey here.
There is so much to being a celebrant the breadth of our role, and the additional services that some of us offer is really varied. For example, as well as taking the service, I also run a Bereavement Cafe with a group of other local celebrants. I have also worked with people to plan their own funerals, led memorial services, written eulogies and scripts for other people to read. Plus because of my skillset, I can also help with things like designing order of services. You can read more about what I do as a celebrant here.
The first general National Celebrants Day was held on 20th November 2020 by the Australian
Federation of Civil Celebrants. As, in the UK anyway, funeral celebrants have tended to have
a lower presence than wedding/family celebrants, discussions took place in early 2021
between a group interested in addressing issues particular to funeral celebrants.
Funeral Celebrant Day will run on the third Friday of November each year – for all types of
funeral celebrants, anywhere in the world and it's a chance to raise awareness of what we do, as well as celebrating our profession.
Most celebrants work independently, over the last year, I have been really lucky to be a part of a group of celebrants who meet up for a natter and a coffee. We share experiences, ask for advice and have a giggle. This group has become really important to me and I am very thankful for the friendships we have formed, so as well as celebrating the role of being a celebrant, I'd also like to thank my fellow celebrants for always being around to give me advice, have a chat or just take the mickey out of me for my obsession with the Real Housewives franchise! Cheryl, Drew, Elle, Mark and Wayne - I thank you!
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