In recent years, society and culture in the UK has become increasingly diverse. And, while Christianity remains the largest religion in Britain, the country's population is made up of people from a large number of faiths.
According to the 2021 Census, the five biggest religions in the UK are:
Christianity (46.2%)
Islam (6.5%)
Hinduism (1.7%)
Sikhism (0.9%)
Judaism (0.5%)
Reflecting the diverse nature of the UK, many local, independent funeral directors are able to accommodate the specific cultural and religious requirements of our faith communities.
Christian funeral requirements
As a traditionally Christian country, the vast majority of funeral directors in the UK are familiar with Christian funeral practises. However, requirements can vary greatly between denominations. Due to a belief in physical resurrection, Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches favour burial over cremation. The Roman Catholic Church permits cremation but does not allow the scattering of ashes.
Some more traditional denominations focus the funeral service on established ritual and don't include a eulogy or any real focus on the life of the deceased. Instead, the main focus is on the faith of the deceased and preparing for their passing into heaven.
Muslim funeral requirements
In many countries, a coffin isn't used in Islamic funeral tradition, but in the UK, where it can be illegal to bury the deceased without a coffin, it's permitted. Since Muslims believe in physical resurrection, cremation isn't encouraged.
The deceased should be washed as quickly as possible and wrapped in a simple white shroud. Burial should take place as quickly as possible after death and preferably within 24 hours, with the deceased facing towards Mecca.
Hindu funeral requirements
Hindu funeral rituals are based on the Vedas, an ancient set of scriptures. In Vedic ritual, fire is seen as moving the body from the realm of mortals to the realm of the gods and the majority of Hindus are cremated.
Hindu tradition calls for the oldest son of the deceased to be the last person to touch the coffin, and some crematoria in the UK support this by offering an area to the front of the cremator which allows for family access.
Sikh funeral requirements
Many Sikhs are cremated, though where cremation isn't practical, burial is permitted. The deceased is washed and dressed in traditional Sikh clothing as soon as possible after death. Placed in a coffin, the deceased is set in front of the Sikh sacred book, Guru Granth Sahib.
Following prayers and readings, the coffin is then taken to the place of cremation where the evening prayer, the Kirtan Sohila, is recited during the funeral and while the cremation is taking place.
Jewish funeral requirements
According to Jewish law, the deceased must be interred as soon as practical from the time of death. A Jewish body shouldn't be left unattended, and the funeral director may be able to accommodate a "shomer" or guardian staying with the deceased.
With a belief in resurrection, strictly religious Jews are generally buried rather than cremated, although Liberal and Reform Judaism permit cremation.
Multifaith funeral requirements
The wishes of the deceased are the most important part of any funeral, so if someone follows a particular religion devoutly, they may wish to have a service held in accordance with the customs of that religion. However, there are lots of people who have been brought up in a family where the parents were of different religions.
In these cases, a multi-faith funeral - where the service embraces more than one belief system - may be appropriate. Religion and spirituality are present in a multi-faith service, but rather than these being represented within the one faith, multiple or even all faiths are acknowledged.