In our secular age, many elements of traditional funeral rites have quietly fallen away, and in their place new rituals have emerged—some tentative, others deeply moving. Among the latter, I find particularly touching the moment when mourners form an honour guard and gently applaud the hearse as it departs, led by the priest and the funeral director.

For me, this gesture offers a way for mourners to come together in shared respect and love, marking the transition from sorrow to the celebration of a life well lived.