Funerals are naturally poignant occasions, marked by sadness and reflection. However, for someone who lived life with a twinkle in their eye and liked to have a laugh, incorporating humour into their farewell can be a deeply fitting tribute. Funny funeral poems, chosen thoughtfully, can reflect a unique personality and bring moments of light and shared remembrance to a humanist funeral, memorial, or celebration of life.
This guide explores how to respectfully and appropriately incorporate humour, specifically through funny poems, into a non-religious humanist funeral. It’s about celebrating a life with smiles as well as tears, honouring a loved one’s spirit in a way that feels authentic and true to who they were.
Understanding the Role of Humour in Farewells
Laughter and fond, amusing memories are often intertwined with our recollections of people we love. Including humour in a funeral isn’t about diminishing the sadness or significance of the loss; it’s about acknowledging and celebrating the whole person, including their lighter side. For someone known for their wit, jokes, or cheerful disposition, a ceremony devoid of the chance to smile might feel incomplete. A humanist funeral, with its focus on personalisation, provides the perfect space for this.
Celebrating Life
A humanist funeral is a non-religious ceremony focused entirely on the person who has died. Led by a humanist celebrant, it celebrates their life, achievements, personality, and relationships in a way that is meaningful and authentic to them, and their family and friends. Because they are bespoke and non-religious, humanist funerals offer great flexibility in tone and content, giving space to elements like uplifting poems.
Poems and Readings: Finding the Right Tone
Humanist funerals allow for highly personalised tributes, often incorporating readings and poems that capture the person’s unique spirit. If the person who died enjoyed humour, had a favourite funny verse, or often shared jokes, choosing funny or light-hearted poems can be a wonderful way to remember them.
The key is appropriateness. The humour should feel genuine to the person and suitable for the occasion. It might be a witty observation on life, a gently self-deprecating verse they loved, or a poem that recalls funny shared experiences.
A skilled Humanist Ceremonies celebrant can be invaluable here. They can help you select appropriate humorous pieces that celebrate the person’s life respectfully, ensuring the tone is warm and affectionate rather than jarring. They can also help balance humorous elements with more reflective moments in the ceremony. You can find suggestions for poems that strike this balance in our blog post on uplifting and humorous poems.
Examples and Considerations
- Think about poems that capture their specific sense of humour – dry wit, observational comedy, playful absurdity?
- Consider poems about laughter, joy, or embracing life’s quirks.
- Ensure the poem’s message aligns with the overall spirit of celebrating the person.
- It’s often best to frame the humorous reading, perhaps by saying, “X loved a good laugh, and they would have appreciated the sentiment in this…”
See our blog post for suggestions that blend warmth and wit: “Uplifting and humorous poems for a humanist funeral”: https://humanists.uk/ceremonies/funerals/blog/uplifting-and-humorous-poems-for-a-humanist-funeral/
The Eulogy: Weaving in Humour
Funny anecdotes are often a cherished part of a eulogy (the main tribute speech). Sharing light-hearted stories can paint a vivid picture of the person’s personality alongside more serious reflections on their life and impact.
Finding a Humanist Celebrant
A Humanist Ceremonies celebrant works with you to create a ceremony that truly reflects the individual. Our celebrants are experienced in managing the tone of a funeral and can help you integrate humour thoughtfully and sensitively, ensuring it adds warmth and personality without detracting from the significance of the farewell.
Important Considerations
- Authenticity: does the humour genuinely reflect the person?
- Audience: consider how the chosen piece will resonate with the friends and family attending.
- Balance: ensure humorous elements are balanced with moments of reflection and remembrance.
- Respect: the ultimate goal is a respectful and loving tribute.
Find a Celebrant: Connect with a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant who can help you plan a ceremony that truly captures the individual’s personality, laughter included: https://humanists.uk/ceremonies/find-a-celebrant/
Why you can trust a Humanist Ceremonies celebrant:
- Gold star training and ongoing CPD
- Annually accredited by respected charity Humanists UK
- DBS checked, and full insured (public liability and professional indemnity)
- Work as part of local, regional and national networks for support, sharing best practice, and emergency back-up
- Pay a monthly fee to Humanists UK to further its work towards equality and tolerance
Find out more at https://humanists.uk/ceremonies/non-religious-funerals/
Learn More: Understand the flexibility and personal nature of Humanist funerals: https://humanists.uk/ceremonies/funerals/home/
Additional Resources
