The role of flowers in the personalization of Christian funerals in Denmark

TY - JOUR

T1 - The role of flowers in the personalization of Christian funerals in Denmark

AU - Christensen, Henrik Reintoft

PY - 2023/3/8

Y1 - 2023/3/8

N2 - Flowers are a common element in Danish funerals. Drawing on fieldnotes, interviews and survey data on funeral practices in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark as well as theories of ritualization, meaning-making and practices, this article shows that flowers are not only a sine qua non in the funerals but are also used to make them more personal and to produce and reproduce social relations. Additionally, flowers are material objects and acquire their social meaning in the right ceremonial context. Outside this context they have no inherent meaning and might even obstruct the ceremony because, as physical objects, they have to be put somewhere in ceremonial space. Paradoxically, flowers are ubiquitous yet invisible.

AB - Flowers are a common element in Danish funerals. Drawing on fieldnotes, interviews and survey data on funeral practices in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Denmark as well as theories of ritualization, meaning-making and practices, this article shows that flowers are not only a sine qua non in the funerals but are also used to make them more personal and to produce and reproduce social relations. Additionally, flowers are material objects and acquire their social meaning in the right ceremonial context. Outside this context they have no inherent meaning and might even obstruct the ceremony because, as physical objects, they have to be put somewhere in ceremonial space. Paradoxically, flowers are ubiquitous yet invisible.

KW - Funerals

KW - personalisation

KW - culture of flowers

KW - Funerals

KW - Religion and flowers

KW - Personalization of funerals

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85165272959&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.30664/ar.121444

DO - 10.30664/ar.121444

M3 - Journal article

SN - 1799-3121

VL - 13

SP - 90

EP - 104

JO - Approaching Religion

JF - Approaching Religion

IS - 1

ER -