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Yahoo
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
8 Unique Funeral Themes for the Most Meaningful Send-Off
There's plenty of beauty and meaning in a traditional funeral or memorial service, but that doesn't mean the usual funeral style is right for everyone. If your loved one had some specific interests or just a unique perspective on the world, we have some awesome ideas for funeral themes to make your tribute super personal. Everything from the decorations to the eulogies can follow the theme or relate to it, and you'll find this actually makes it easier to plan and create a really meaningful event. For many people, having a theme makes the event even more special and lets you really show what was important to your loved one (or how they loved to have fun). Things like birds and balloons can be very important symbols of letting someone go or fly away, and you can use these symbols as a theme for the entire funeral. Choose decorations that emphasize the air, such as bird cut-outs or ribbons that can move in the breeze if you're outside. Select readings that touch on the subject of birds or other things that fly. You may even want to fly kites together after the service. For someone who valued nature and the environment, a touching tribute can be a funeral with an environmental theme. Choose natural, local decorations that can be reused (living plants, for instance). Serve farm-to-table food that is locally sourced. You can ask guests to donate to an environmental charity or organization instead of giving flowers. If you're hosting a themed funeral, be sure to communicate the theme to everyone who is involved. The time after a loss can be challenging, and no one wants to be surprised. The night sky and all the points of light in it can be very comforting when you're facing the loss of a loved one. Let the stars inspire your funeral theme by decorating with star cut-outs, asters and other star-shaped flowers, and even star charts or space telescope photos. You can use the stars to inspire your readings and also host an evening star-gazing event after the service. Funerals are already formal, but you can take your formality to the next level with a black-tie attire service. Have people dress in gowns and tuxes as a way to show their respect in the most stylish way possible. This is especially fun if the person you're honoring loved dressing up. For an added touch, host a formal cocktail party as a reception after the service. Related: Most funerals are held during the day, but you could host an evening event by candlelight. This can be very touching, especially if you pass candles around and let everyone light theirs. After the service, release sky lanterns together in a safe place to give your loved one a beautiful send-off. It may sound like a weird funeral theme, but centering the whole event around your loved one's favorite movie can be a light-hearted but still very personal tribute. You can use cardboard cutouts of characters from the movie (like Star Wars, for instance), have guests dress in costumes if they wish, and even do readings from movie scenes that seem especially fitting. You could also show a small clip or the entire movie after the service. A special funeral theme for a book lover could involve all things reading related. Have book-themed decorations or flowers made out of book pages. Read parts of your loved one's favorite book at the service, and have guests bring books to exchange with one another. You could also ask for children's book donations to take to a local library or school. Another wonderful and unique idea is to let their cultural heritage inspire your themed funeral. If they're Irish, for instance, you could decorate with flowers like bells of Ireland, read an Irish blessing, sing an Irish song, and serve Irish food. Your loved one's cultural heritage is a rich source of inspiration for everything from the funeral flowers to the food. There are so many wonderful unique funeral ideas to choose from that it can seem a little overwhelming to pick one. This can be even more challenging if you're in the midst of dealing with grief. These tips can help you keep the stress to a minimum and choose a theme that's perfect: Think about what your loved one really appreciated in life. Let that inspire you. Ask a few friends or family members for ideas if you're not sure what you want to do. It can be healing for people to have input. Don't choose a theme that's going to make things more complicated for you or that involves a lot of set-up. One of the great benefits of funeral themes is that they can make the whole process easier. Consider the formality level you want at the service. Some themes are casual, and you may want a more traditional event. Your wishes matter here. Remember that the theme you choose is to honor your loved one, but it's also to comfort the people at the funeral. If you think a theme might be upsetting, consider tweaking it a little so everyone will be comfortable. A memorial service or funeral doesn't have to be totally traditional. There's no rule that says you can't have an event as unique as your loved one. The perfect funeral theme will make the whole event more meaningful and special for everyone involved.
Washington Post
a day ago
- Washington Post
Parsing ICE's mixed-up, hard-to-believe assault claims
Last month, I wrote a column questioning why Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers were increasingly disguising their identities as they conducted sweeps and arrests. One obvious answer was that they hoped to avoid accountability for their actions, making it harder to say precisely who had plucked up a college student or local mother and sent them to jail in another state pending deportation.
CTV News
2 days ago
- CTV News
MP pays tribute to Walkerton crash victims on Parliament Hill
On Tuesday, he read a statement on Parliament Hill paying tribute to four local teenagers and their coach killed in a crash.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- South China Morning Post
Discover Amsterdam's hidden gems away from the tourist crowds, from Nieuw-West to Bijlmer
Amsterdam is suffering from overtourism. Calculations suggest that 12 people visit per year for every local resident. Nevertheless, there are intriguing areas away from the main sightseeing spots that hardly any tourists stray into, and which often represent something far closer to the everyday lives of Amsterdammers. One easy tip to avoid the crowds is to set your alarm for 5am – preferably on a Sunday. This way, you can have Amsterdam 's canals all to yourself. The traffic is not yet roaring, the city is quiet and the gables of the houses are reflected in the canals' undisturbed water. Those wanting to enjoy Amsterdam's brick facades in peace without getting up early can head to Rivierenbuurt. The neighbourhood, near the Amsterdam RAI exhibition centre, features buildings in the Amsterdam School architectural style from the 1920s and '30s. Amsterdam's houses on the canals are popular with sightseers, but it is possible to see them in peace if you get up early.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Reddit vs. Nextdoor: Which Social Network Stock Has the Edge?
Reddit RDDT and Nextdoor KIND operate community-driven social platforms, offering investors exposure to both global and localized engagement. RDDT facilitates interest-based conversations across diverse subject matter, while KIND connects neighbours through local updates and a Technavio report, the social networking market is expected to grow by $312.3 billion from 2024 to 2029, witnessing a CAGR of 21.6%, supported by rising Internet penetration and increased demand for targeted social media advertising. Both Reddit and Nextdoor are positioned to benefit from this market expansion as advertisers seek platforms with strong user engagement and community or KIND - Which of these Social Networking stocks has the greater upside potential? Let's find out. Reddit is benefiting from strong advertiser adoption and enhanced user engagement. In the first quarter of 2025, revenues jumped 61% year over year to $392.4 million, driven by higher impressions, improved ad load and increased investment from performance advertisers. Advertising revenues contributed $358.6 million (up 61% year on year), beating the Zacks consensus estimate by 5.87%.User metrics have been showing significant expansion across the platform. During the first quarter of 2025, Daily Active Uniques were 108.1 million, while Weekly Active Uniques were 401.3 million. Both metrics increased 31% year over year. Mobile app usage grew 45% year on year, supporting higher engagement levels across Reddit's ecosystem of over 100,000 continues to strengthen its platform through AI-led features aimed at improving content discovery. Reddit Answers, the generative AI search experience, reached one million weekly users and integration into core search results is expected to enhance content relevance and user experience. Global expansion into the U.K. and Australia is a key has upgraded its business-facing toolkit, Reddit Pro, with features that simplify onboarding, profile setup and campaign management. These enhancements help advertisers surface relevant community conversations and improve visibility across paid and organic by strong top-line growth, expanding user metrics and product innovation, Reddit remains well-positioned to capture incremental advertiser spending and drive commercial adoption. Nextdoor is focusing on building advertiser momentum, enhancing its product experience and maintaining user growth. In the first quarter of 2025, revenues increased 2% year over year to $54 million, driven by higher spending from large advertisers and improving traction in alternative demand channels. However, the figure lagged the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.3%. User metrics reflected steady expansion. Weekly Active Users (WAUs) increased 6% year over year to 46.1 million. Platform WAU's (users engaging with KIND's owned and operated surfaces) grew 5% year over year to 22.5 million, supported by increased engagement across key surfaces and improved feed continues to advance its product portfolio through the NEXT redesign initiative, which is focused on improving content discovery and platform usability. In the first quarter, the company onboarded over 3,000 local publishers and introduced real-time alert systems for weather and safety updates, expanding the relevance of community launched AI-powered discovery tools such as Faves and enhanced personalization systems, reinforcing its position as a trusted neighbourhood platform. These initiatives are aimed at increasing engagement depth and supporting long-term monetization opportunities. In the year-to-date period, shares of Reddit and Nextdoor have lost 27.7% and 35.8%, respectively. The dip in RDDT and KIND's share price can be attributed to the challenging macroeconomic environment. A broader market weakness in the tech sector and persistent fear over mounting tariffs have added to the pressure. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Valuation-wise, both RDDT and KIND shares are currently overvalued as suggested by a Value Score of F. In terms of the forward 12-month Price/Sales, RDDT shares are trading at 10.46X, which is higher than KIND's 2.28X. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for RDDT's 2025 earnings is pegged at $1.21 per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, indicating a 136.34% rise year over year. Reddit Inc. price-consensus-chart | Reddit Inc. Quote The consensus estimate for KIND's 2025 loss is pegged at 20 cents per share, unchanged over the past 30 days, but narrower than the year-ago quarter's loss of 25 cents per share. Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. price-consensus-chart | Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. Quote While both Reddit and Nextdoor stand to benefit from the booming social networking market, Reddit appears better positioned with robust revenue growth, an expanding product portfolio and growing adoption of AI-driven tools. Strong user metrics, improving profitability and growing international traction are helping RDDT gain momentum with advertisers and deepen community engagement across its Nextdoor is still in the early stages of scaling its platform. Despite efforts to improve product experience, onboard local publishers and reduce costs, revenue growth remains modest and losses Reddit carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), while Nextdoor has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), making RDDT a relatively stronger pick at this point. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Nextdoor Holdings, Inc. (KIND) : Free Stock Analysis Report Reddit Inc. (RDDT) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research
