Key Reasons for the Rise in Multicultural Funeral Services

For a long time, funeral homes offered services to only one or two communities or religions. The affiliation meant that funeral homes could not handle the funeral practices of different groups. However, funeral homes have been gradually leaning toward multicultural funeral services over the last decade or two. The trend has brought about a couple of benefits, including a broader customer base and appreciation of different cultures. However, what prompted funeral homes to incorporate multicultural funeral services into existing traditional funeral rites? This article takes a closer look at possible reasons for the trend.

Increased Immigration -- One of the main reasons funeral homes are increasingly incorporating multicultural funerals as part of their services is increased immigration. An excellent example is the growing Asian minority in Australia. In fact, Asians account for about 12% of Australia's population. Funeral homes could not just ignore the market and started providing Asian funeral services to cater to the growing minority group. Over the years, funeral homes have responded accordingly to the immigration of other ethnicities as well. It is the reason you can find a funeral home offering Asian, Christian, Muslim, and Hindu funeral services.

Shrinking Resources -- Building, equipping, and running a funeral home that provides services to a specific group is not as straightforward as most people think. Notably, funeral homes are businesses like any other, and owners must make decisions that maximise profits without compromising the quality of services offered. As Australian cities became heavily cosmopolitan and different cultures demanded community-centric funeral services, service providers could have built more facilities to cater to the different cohorts. However, shrinking resources made the approach virtually impossible and impractical. Consequently, funeral homes turned to the next best alternative, making their facilities multicultural. It made it possible to offer funeral services to different groups under one roof.

Increased Secular Observances -- Although religious rites are still widely practised in funeral homes, there is no doubt that more people are increasingly leaning toward secular funeral practices. No longer are families bound by traditional rituals when it comes to funeral services. Therefore, funeral homes have come to terms with the fact that people have the freedom to choose what they want for their funerals. For instance, an individual belonging to a biker group might want a customised funeral service reflecting the lifestyle. The beauty of funeral homes offering multicultural funeral services is that they can now cater to various groups' secular and religious needs.

To learn more about Asian funerals, contact a funeral home near you. 

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