Well, I have been to two funerals and one wake in my 46 years. So yah, I tend to avoid them.

First off, as far as the dead person goes, well they are dead. Not really very much to say past that.

Second, if one must attend such things, one is clearly doing it for the benefit of the survivors.

The last time was the wake for the mother of a friend of mine whom I have known since I was a teenager. As I say, the dead lady is not impressed but it seemed to be important to let my friend know that I am there for her during her grief. Having the stiff out on display really did not do anything for me, not the least because she had made me lunch/dinner many times over the years. I really would have preferred to hold only the memory of her handing me a sandwich but whatever. As I say, this was about being there for my friend.

The time before that was my mother. And dammit but I had to go to church for that one. At least mom was in a one gallon can under a nice altar cloth for that one. Well, that one has the whole family thing going on, so it has to be done.

Not to belabor the point with all of my stories, I am just not a funeral type of guy.

I will have one coming up at some point that is going to be really weird though. My father was an atheist before me. He left standing orders that his body should go to a medical school. Well, it seems that eventually, they will be done with the husk and they will want to give it back to the family.

Personally, I would be fine with just throwing the leftovers in a lime pit. However, when my older brother was cleaning out his apartment, it turned out that he was an actual war hero. We will never know why, due to a fire back in the 70's in whatever warehouse had the records but my brother found enough documentation that I am going to have to go to DC for a huge deal at Arlington National Cemetery.

I am sure that dad would not have wanted that but apparently my brother is going to force the issue. The family thing again. I suppose that I will take some vacation that week and go check out the Smithsonian.

Funerals are just a ritual to say goodbye, just something witch helps you move on. A party would just be forced, no one would enjoy it and that would be truly depressing. Of course funerals are sad thats the point, trying to avoid that sadness is just trying to avoid what you are feeling (nd if  you arent sad why the hell are you there), witch never works. I have been to two funerals and I can say yes they were probably the sadest places i have ever been, i don't care that they were religous, worrying about such a petty thing at that point is pointless and disrespectful.  

This is exactly my desire. My wife & I have discussed this quite a bit. Cremate me, put bits in little plastic baggies to hand out as favors at the good-bye party, and people can do whatever the hell they want. Throw my ashes off the top of coaster, or into the ocean, or into the bin. It won't matter to me. Why? Because it's funny.

Really, my only desire is to throw a big fuck-off party, so people can kvetch about me all they want. Drink up my beer. Listen to my music. Play my video games. That sort of thing.

        I'm a devout atheist,  I  don't believe in heaven or hell therefore I got no place to go:  ergo I'm not going.

       Cremate me and place my ashes in a tampon (several)  that way I go out the way I came in.

       They can have a funeral for me, just no priests,  otherwise I'll get up and walk out.

My dead body should be left dead at least for 3 days. During that time it should be allowed for curious people to check out my brain, with an assistance of a pathologist. By then, I should have meditated for many years, so it would be interesting to take a look if it made the brain any bigger or more folded, or whatever. After that, the body should be burned. The ash can be used as fertilizer.
I want no funeral, no wake, no kissing or hugging of the dead body, as local necrophilic oldies like to do. The act of cremation should be as cheap as possible, to spare the money for a banquet. (people can feast always, sad or not) Morbidity should be kept at the very minimum, except of morbid jokes.  And those unfortunates who will have to clean up my living place should receive an extra pocket-money for the effort, if they won't find anything valuable there. I vividly remember my dead grandfather's dorm full of old kitshy junk and dust.

One of my sources says, that burying people into earth is very unhygienic. Reputedly, all the toxins and germs accumulated in the body for decades then soak into ground and contaminate it. Cremation is the only hygienic form of funeral and should be practised globally at least for several centuries, before the soil will purify itself. It's a necessary step in erradication of disease as such.

By the way, the ash is not just an ash. Usually the bones are not burned totally, so they're afterwards milled on dust in a special mill with steel balls within. Then they're mixed with the ash. This is something that ClockCat should't forget to mention in his video.

     Cremation.  Mostly for economic reasons.  Besides, why waste money on an elaborate funeral ? .....it's not like I was a Roman Emperor or something.

And what is wrong with siting in a room for an hour and dwell on the fact that someone is dead. I think that is healthy. Deal with the fact, don't avoid it. Nothing wrong with doing it with people aswell talking but that can be uncomftable. Some people just cannot share there feelings

For me, I cannot speak for others here but for me, I needed to deal with the death, witch funerals help you to do (they give you time to think and come to terms, witch was painful). I needed that before i started to feel better. Telling stories didn't do anything for me until I had dealt with the death. Maybe that is just a procsess I needed, maybe others don't, but I did. If focusing on life and joy is what helps you accept and move on then there is nothing wrong with it, to me it seems like avoiding a problem, each to there own i guess.