Mandela -- A tribute by Dr. Maya Angelou

[puglogic]

As an aside, what is the modern definition of "celebration of Life" vs "funeral?" Is it as simple as: the body of the deceased is present?

Maybe. Though my mother-in-law's funeral was called a "celebration of life" and her body was there. So in reality, it's maybe just semantics, as you've said. Somebody might say that one focuses on life/contributions/triumphs, and the other on death/loss/afterlife, but it seems all intermixed nowadays.

I come here to praise Mandela
And to send this message to his jailer
Your walls may hold the man inside
But they'll never ever hold back the tide
'cause in the years you've shut him away
A generation has grown where he stood
They're gonna see the day

[Simply Divine]

Maybe. Though my mother-in-law's funeral was called a "celebration of life" and her body was there. So in reality, it's maybe just semantics, as you've said. Somebody might say that one focuses on life/contributions/triumphs, and the other on death/loss/afterlife, but it seems all intermixed nowadays.

I come here to praise Mandela
And to send this message to his jailer
Your walls may hold the man inside
But they'll never ever hold back the tide
'cause in the years you've shut him away
A generation has grown where he stood
They're gonna see the day

Where I live, a "funeral" is the ceremony in which you bury the deceased. The "celebration of life"/"memorial"/"wake"/"viewing", etc. are all words for when people take time to remember the dead and perhaps share their feelings or personal stories of the deceased. Often, religion is involved at the memorial; sometimes it is at the funeral. A "celebration of life" may also occur at the funeral, but they can take place during separate times of the day or even separate days entirely. There are lots of variations of the ceremonies people do when their loved ones pass away.