Should I Send Flowers to a Greek Orthodox Funeral?

Services are at the Church

• When services are held at a Greek Orthodox Church, flowers may be sent to the church in the family's name, rather than to the family's home. These are sent for the funeral service only, not for the memorial service that is held on the Sunday closest to the 40th day after death.
  
  

Family Requests No Flowers

• In a Greek Orthodox funeral each person places a single flower on the casket at the grave site.WhiteRose1 image by mathieulaprise from Fotolia.com
  
  The family of the deceased may request that contributions or donations be made to a specific charity or organization in lieu of flowers being sent to the church. In this instance it is always appropriate to follow the wishes of the family.
  
  

Bottom Line

• When attending a funeral, it is always best to keep the family of the deceased in mind when deciding on whether to send flowers. If at all possible, find out what the family's decision is regarding flower arrangements and comply with that.