Flowers are an important part of paying your respects to a family that has just lost someone, and that is as true for Catholic families in Vietnam as for any other. If you are sending funeral flowers to a household that follows the Catholic faith, what kind of wreath should you choose? Below, Flosa suggests some wreaths for a Catholic funeral and explains what they are taken to mean.
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What a wreath means at a Catholic funeral
Among Catholics as among everyone else in Vietnam, funeral flowers stand for condolence to the family that has lost someone. They carry the sense of Thành kính phân ưu (“With deepest sympathy”) and of sorrow for the person who has died.
A funeral wreath for a Catholic often carries the sign of the cross. In Christian belief, the cross is seen as a symbol of the love and mercy of God. A Catholic funeral wreath takes the form of the cross to express trust in God, and to join in prayer that the soul of the deceased may be taken up to heaven and share in the glory of the Kingdom of Heaven.
For Catholics, life does not end with death: God, who brought a person into this world, will also receive them when they leave it. A wreath at a Catholic funeral is therefore also understood as a farewell to the soul of the deceased, seeing them off to the kingdom of God. It is something like a prayer that they may be brought to a better world.
Sympathy flowers and what they mean
The main colours at a Catholic funeral are purple and white. Purple stands for repentance and hope. White stands for purity, holiness and faith in victory. Yellow or pale pink is also considered a good choice, to express sympathy and soften the sense of mourning.
For that reason, flowers in purple, white, yellow or pale pink appear often at Catholic funerals. These are the flowers most commonly chosen, and the meaning each is given:
- Purple Thai orchid: The purple Thai orchid stands for regret at parting. Using it in the flowers for a Catholic funeral is a way of showing that the deceased is missed and held in reverence.
- White chrysanthemum: The white chrysanthemum represents honour and sympathy. A sympathy wreath of white chrysanthemums is therefore seen as a prayer that the departed soul may be cleansed of sin and soon come to share in happiness with the Lord.
- Lily: In Catholic tradition the lily stands for innocence and purity, like a radiant light. White lilies are taken as a prayer of intercession that the soul of the deceased may soon be at peace and find happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Tuberose: The tuberose is regarded as a symbol of rebirth and renewal. Using it in funeral flowers is like a word of encouragement to the bereaved family, to help them come through their loss.
- White rose: The white rose stands for devotion, gratitude and honour paid to the deceased. It is usually sent to the funerals of people who gave a great deal to the Church or to their parish.
- Pale pink carnation: Although it is neither white nor purple, the pale pink carnation is still chosen by Catholics for sympathy wreaths, because it is also regarded as a symbol of compassion and of the tears of the Virgin Mary.
- White orchid: The white orchid carries the message “I will always love you”. Choosing white orchids for a funeral wreath is a way of saying that those left behind will always remember the person who has just died, and pray for them.
Wreath designs for a Catholic funeral
You can choose the flowers according to your own beliefs and the meaning you want to convey. Wreaths for a Catholic funeral come in many forms: a triangle, a circle and, above all, the cross. The cross has great meaning: it is the symbol of glory, since Jesus Christ overcame death, rose again and brought salvation to humankind.
Here are some reverent and dignified wreaths for a Catholic funeral that Flosa suggests:
Order now: Traditional funeral wreath Cõi Vĩnh Hằng (“The Eternal Realm”)
Order now: Catholic funeral wreath in the shape of a cross
Order now: Funeral wreath Kí Ức (“Memories”)
Order now: Funeral flower stand Calming Memory
See Flosa’s elegant and meaningful sympathy flowers.
We hope these notes on flowers for a Catholic funeral have given you the basic conventions to know before you order a wreath to send, and that you find a florist you can trust and that suits you.
