Funeral News Round Up
Here are some news stories about funeral developments, a great new Mitch Albom column about COVID and saying goodbye to loved ones, the Before I Die New Mexico Festival schedule announcement, and green burial news.
Maine Considers Open Air Cremation
Cremating dead bodies on open-air funeral pyres may soon be legal in Maine. A bill in the state legislature would allow designated sites in the state to conduct open air cremations—a funeral ritual that dates back thousands of years but has largely disappeared from the modern-day United States. READ THE FULL ARTICLE
Mitch Albom Column on Saying Goodbye
Trying to time your last words to a dying loved one is a tricky business. I have learned a valuable lesson in this. Don’t wait. READ THE FULL COLUMN
Before I Die NM Festival Schedule Announced
The fifth annual Before I Die New Mexico Festival will include online and in-person events in Albuquerque (depending on pandemic conditions). Events for 2021 are scheduled from October 30, Create a Great Funeral Day, to November 2, All Souls Day. As in years past, the Before I Die New Mexico Festival will include:
- Panel discussions and speakers related to end-of-life issues;
- Behind-the-scenes tours of funeral homes and cemeteries;
- Entertaining sessions with film clips and live performances;
- Death Cafe discussions;
And much more! READ THE NEWS RELEASE
Green Burial News
Gail Rubin will host the kick off to the 2021 Green Burial Council Conference Green Life, Death and Future on Thursday, October 21 from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Mountain Time. This is a two-hour, drop-in evening on Zoom for everyone who is “green burial curious.” The event is free, but registration is required.
With humor and honesty, Gail and her guests will tell personal stories about choosing sustainable deathcare. She will show some fun videos of green burial, as it has been portrayed in television programs. Fellow conference speakers Dr. Basil Eldadah and Joél Simone Anthony, aka The Grave Woman, will join to share their stories. Gail will invite event attendees to tell their stories, too. If you’ve already decided on green burial, this may be the perfect evening to share with your family and friends to help them understand your wishes.
READ THIS SLATE STORY about green burial featuring Basil Eldadah.
Learn more about Gail Rubin, Certified Thanatologist and The Doyenne of Death®.