In our secular age, so much of our ecclesiastical tradition has been lost at funerals and in its place sometimes awkward rituals have been created by funeral undertakers. However, some new rituals are wonderful and amongst these I include mourners forming an honour guard and then clapping the hearse as it passes, led by the priest and the funeral director.

For me, this ritual is about allowing mourners to celebrate together a life whilst signalling the shift from grieving to celebrating.