Celebration of life

A celebration of life is a funeral or memorial service framed around honoring the deceased's life rather than mourning the death. The framing is common in evangelical and non-denominational practice and has spread across Mainline Protestant traditions in recent decades. A celebration of life typically includes scripture, prayer, and a homily or message alongside extended remembrances from family and friends; the atmosphere is often less liturgically formal than a Catholic Funeral Mass or an Orthodox Funeral Service. Catholic and Orthodox tradition generally do not use the framing; the funeral retains its liturgical structure regardless of the family's emotional emphasis.