With an obituary notice, the bereaved publicly announce in the newspaper that a family member, relative, acquaintance, or friend has passed away. The notice itself can be designed and formulated in various ways.
What you need to consider and what options are available for obituaries will be explained below.
What is an obituary?
An obituary, also known as a 'death notice,' is a notification sent to the appropriate newspaper, which is entrusted with the publication or announcement of the deceased person's death.
By publishing and thus announcing the death, all acquaintances and friends of the deceased are officially informed. In parallel, the bereaved can of course continue to inform all close relatives and acquaintances with condolence letters. However, an obituary notice takes this work off their hands.
An obituary notice can be placed for any person. This includes family members (father, mother, child, etc.), employees or colleagues within a company, acquaintances from the circle of friends, club members, or even people without relatives.
Anyone who wishes to can place an obituary notice for a deceased person to express their grief. Usually, however, this is done by the direct bereaved and the funeral home commissioned.
Obituary or Death Notice: Difference
In this context, two different terms are often used: the 'obituary notice' itself and its synonym, the 'death notice.' The fact that both terms actually have a different meaning generally does not matter to funeral homes. They offer services for both the obituary and the death notice, so it does not matter which term you use as a bereaved person.
Obituary: Published after the burial. For example, on the first annual remembrance day or the anniversary of the deceased.
Death Notice: Used to announce the death and the date of the burial.
The Obituary Notice: Contents and Formulation
The obituary notice is somewhat comparable to the gravestone, which is placed directly at the grave as the last place of remembrance. Here, the first and last name, birth and death dates, and, if desired, a quote or words of condolence or motifs are engraved.
Similarly, an obituary notice published in a newspaper includes the above-mentioned contents and can also state titles or special distinctions (e.g., Doctor, Professor). Optionally, the date of the burial and the cemetery where it will take place can also be included in the obituary notice.
In addition, the obituary notice may include a note indicating that, for example, flowers are not desired at the grave or that condolences should not be given. Alternatively, a donation to a previously designated charitable institution can be made. The notice for the deceased also includes the names of the family members, of course.
If relatives also wish to publish a picture of the deceased, this is always possible. But be aware, the more information you include in the death notice, the higher the cost for publication.
Phrasing
There are numerous ways to phrase an obituary notice. However, it is recommended to keep the remarks about the personality of the deceased brief.
Introductory sentences could be as follows:
- “After a long/short illness, ... passed away.”
- “We are grateful for the wonderful time with you …”
- “In love and gratitude …”
- “Too soon we have to say goodbye …”
We recommend the following templates (source: noz.de):
Design
When designing an obituary notice, there are hardly any limits for the relatives. Such a notice can be designed with a condolence message, motifs (e.g. water or trees), Christian symbols (e.g. cross), religious quotations, or similar.
The funeral home commissioned can provide comprehensive advice and support here and takes care of the design of the obituary notice and the order for its publication in the respective newspaper.
Who is Mentioned?
In the obituary notice, family members such as the spouse, the names of the children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, parents or in-laws, as well as siblings and in-laws are mentioned.
The order is as follows:
- Spouse (if the deceased was married)
- Children by age
- Grandchildren / great-grandchildren by age
- Parents / in-laws by age
- Siblings and in-laws by age
How is an Obituary Notice Placed?
Generally, an obituary notice should be placed as soon as possible. This usually happens within 48 hours after the deceased's death. This way, all people and acquaintances close to the deceased are informed of the death as quickly as possible.
However, there is also the option to publish an obit or death notice only after the burial if it is intended that the burial takes place exclusively within the immediate family circle.
The Costs of an Obituary Notice in the Newspaper
It is difficult to determine a fixed price for publishing an obituary notice in a newspaper. This depends on the renown of the newspaper, how many readers it has, and the space and design of the obituary notice.
The larger the circulation of a newspaper, the more expensive the notice. Additionally, the death notice is measured in height and width in millimeters. Each millimeter the death notice occupies costs money, as do any motifs or even colors used.
However, it can be roughly stated that a standard notice in a local newspaper can cost several hundred euros. If the newspaper is regionally represented, the price can even go up to several thousand euros.
Conclusion
An obituary or death notice mainly serves to inform people about the deceased's death and possibly to enable them to say goodbye.
How an obituary notice is published is entirely up to the bereaved and the relatives. However, it is best to seek competent advice from the commissioned funeral home.