Significance & History Behind Flowers at Funerals

Flowers at funerals symbolize the life cycle, its beauty, and to bring warmth to the ceremony. Before the advent of embalming, flowers were also used to mask body decomposition.

Flowers are a common form of expression of sympathy at funerals.

Ancient Practice

Funeral flower arrangements can be found in most cultures.

A 1951 excavation in Northern Iraq determined that at least eight species of flowers, based on soil samples, were used at burial sites dating back to 62000 B.C., according to mcadamsfuneralflorist.com.

Symbolism

Flowers symbolize the life cycle.

Flowers were thought to be the symbol of the life cycle from birth to death, the fragility of life and its temporary beauty.

More Practical Reasons

Flowers were used at funerals originally to cover the odor of the decomposing body of the deceased, according to inlieuofflowers.info.

Andrew Johnson's Problem

In 1875, funeral director Lazarus Shepard ordered large quantities of flowers to mask the smell of former President Andrew Johnson's rapidly decomposing body until after the casket was placed in the ground.

Midwestern Practice

In 19th century Midwest America, flower ladies served with the same distinction as pall bearers by carrying flowers from the funeral home to the processional vehicle, and then set up the flowers at the cemetery.

Today

Flowers are a means of non-verbal expression of sympathy, but more often in past decades bereaved family members requested charitable donations in the name of the deceased to avoid waste of floral arrangements.

References

• Early American funeral flower information
• Ancient funeral flower practices