Interfaith Families: Honoring More Than One Tradition

Families that span more than one faith or cultural tradition face a genuinely specific planning question: how do you honor more than one part of someone’s identity at once?

Can a funeral include elements from two different religions?

Yes - interfaith families approach this in many different ways, and none is more “correct” than another:

• Blending specific elements - a reading, a ritual, a piece of music - from each tradition into one service
• Holding two smaller services, each reflecting one tradition, rather than combining everything into one
• Involving clergy or officiants from more than one faith, sometimes together in the same service
• Choosing a more secular or humanist approach that draws lightly from multiple backgrounds without fully committing to either

Whose tradition should take priority if family members disagree?

When known, the specific wishes of the person who died are generally the most important guide. This is exactly why writing down specific wishes in advance matters - it can prevent this kind of disagreement from falling on the family during an already difficult time.

Should we involve clergy from both traditions?

Many interfaith families do exactly this, and many religious leaders have experience working alongside colleagues from other faiths specifically for interfaith families, often more open to this than families expect. It’s worth asking directly rather than assuming a specific clergy member wouldn’t be willing to participate in a blended service.

What if the couple or family didn’t practice either religion very actively?

This is common, and it’s entirely reasonable to choose a lighter touch - a single meaningful reading or ritual from a family’s background, without committing to a fully religious service from either side. What matters most is that the service feels true to the actual person and family, not that it checks every traditional box.

What should I tell my family?

If you belong to an interfaith family, telling your family directly which elements matter most to you - specific readings, clergy you’d want involved, or how you’d want the traditions balanced - removes the guesswork that otherwise falls on them during a difficult time.

Add this to your Final Day Plan: which specific elements from each tradition matter most to you, and whether you’d want clergy from one faith, both, or neither - this is the detail most likely to prevent disagreement among your family later.

For community-specific customs to ask about, see Chinese funeral traditions and Latino funeral traditions.

Practices vary by community, tradition and family. Everendium provides general guidance and encourages families to consult their faith or community leaders where appropriate.