Baby boomers have, as a generation, been known for bucking trends. Even at the end of life, baby boomers are making their own statements about how things should be. Even funerals for baby boomers can feature more and more unique and nontraditional elements.
Many funerals today, for example, may feature musical performances and less traditional music. In some cases, eulogies by family members and friends are even starting to replace the traditional funeral sermon delivered by clergy.
It’s not uncommon, today, to find a video of the deceased being played on a wide screen LCD TV next to the open casket. In some cases, the funeral director is becoming as much an event manager as he is a funeral director.
Some baby boomers choose specific themes for their funerals. For example, they might have an Old West funeral, complete with a covered wagon instead of a hearse and a barbecue dinner after the funeral. The only real limits to these funerals is the imagination of the person planning the funeral. In many cases, boomers are planning their funerals ahead, specifically so they can design the event.
Whether this trend of individualism and self-expression, even in death, will continue with the next generation remains to be seen. One thing is sure, however: this generation wants to go out with a boom, rather than a whimper.