As the Asian community in Australia continues to grow, it is gradually assimilating into the different facets of the Australian culture, albeit partially. The way of life of Australian-born Asian millennials is a testament to this fact. Meeting the funeral arrangement needs of Australian-born Asian millennials is a big challenge for funeral homes. It can be attributed to their progressive and tradition-eschewing lifestyle. Luckily, funeral homes can take certain creative steps to ensure they meet the funeral needs of Asian millennials in Australia. Read on for insight. 

Simple, Short Rituals -- Asian funeral rites and rituals are some of the most complex in the world mainly because they incorporate different cultures. A typical traditional funeral ceremony or service conducted in any one of the Asian countries can start in the morning and end late at night. It is because the bereaved families strictly follow their traditional funeral rites. For Australian-born Asian millennials, funeral services that last several hours are unrealistic. Therefore, funeral home directors can compress the time to a few hours by ensuring only the most essential rites or rituals are part of the service. Such funeral arrangements are considerate since they allow the younger generation of Australian-born Asians to observe tradition.

Focus on Emotions -- Traditionally, guests in Asian funerals only follow funeral ritual procedures and rarely interact with the bereaved family. Of course, the traditional rituals allow guests to show their respect to the deceased, including the transfer of symbolic goods such as money and food. Guests can also bring fake money and paper replicas of houses, cars, and electronic gadgets so that the deceased can live comfortably in the afterlife. Conversely, Australian-born Asian millennials pay more attention to people's emotions than funeral rituals. Thus, guests prefer to interact and actively talk to the bereaved families to offer their condolences. Funeral homes can make it easier for clients by creating an open space in the facility's parlour for people to mingle freely before and after service.

Avail the Six Treasures -- As mentioned previously, Asian funerals involve burning fake money and other paper replica items, referred to as the six treasures, so that the deceased can have sufficient needs in the afterlife. Buying the items is not a problem for Asian-born Australians since they understand their significance. However, Australian-born Asian millennials might struggle to find the items if they have never heard of them. Funeral homes can make things easier for the cohort by availing the items at their facility for easy access. Furthermore, selling the items at a facility can be a separate source of income for a funeral home.

For more information on specific Asian funerals for those in Australia, contact a funeral home near you.