13 Spooky Funerals That Give Us Chills

A Wildflower Funeral Concepts Blog Post

It’s that time of year — the veil is thin, the pumpkins are lit, and even funeral directors can lean into the spooky side of their work. At Wildflower Funeral Concepts, we believe that death isn’t something to fear… but we’ll admit, some funerals throughout history do give us goosebumps (in the best possible way).

Here are 13 spooky, strange, and spectacular funerals that remind us how creative, mysterious, and downright weird human remembrance can be.

1. The Viking Ship Burial

Nothing says “epic exit” like being set ablaze in a longboat and pushed out to sea. Vikings believed the flames carried the soul to Valhalla — equal parts metal and mystical.

2. The Mummy Parade of Ancient Egypt

Pharaohs didn’t just die — they transformed. Between elaborate embalming, amulets, and golden sarcophagi, an Egyptian royal send-off could last months. Halloween decor has nothing on the afterlife aesthetic of ancient Thebes.

3. The Jazz Funerals of New Orleans

Equal parts haunting and joyful, the New Orleans jazz funeral begins with mournful brass and ends with celebratory dancing — because even the dead deserve a party.

4. The Self-Made Coffin of the Ghanaian Fantasy Casket Makers

From giant chili peppers to sleek airplanes, Ghana’s fantasy caskets celebrate life with wild creativity. A fisherman might be buried in a giant fish; a teacher in a pen. Scary? Maybe not — but definitely unforgettable.

5. The Ghost Marriage Funerals of China

In some Chinese traditions, families arrange “spirit marriages” for unmarried loved ones who’ve died — pairing them with another spirit so they won’t be lonely in the afterlife. Sweet… and a little eerie.

6. Jeremy Bentham’s Self-Preservation

The English philosopher Jeremy Bentham famously requested his body be preserved and displayed at University College London. He’s still there today, in a glass case, attending faculty meetings “in spirit.”

7. The Catacombs of Paris

A city of the living built upon a city of bones. The Paris Catacombs hold the remains of over six million people, carefully arranged in artistic — and unsettling — formations.

8. The Sky Burials of Tibet

A tradition born from both reverence and practicality, Tibetan sky burials offer the body to vultures, symbolizing the impermanence of life and the return of all matter to the earth.

9. The Haunted Hearse of Boot Hill Cemetery

In Tombstone, Arizona, the old horse-drawn hearse at Boot Hill is said to still roll down Allen Street on moonlit nights. Locals swear they can hear phantom hooves.

10. The Zombie-Themed Funeral in the U.K.

In 2015, a lifelong horror movie fan from the U.K. requested a full zombie-themed sendoff. Friends and family arrived in gory makeup, a coffin was carried by “undead” pallbearers, and the soundtrack included the Walking Dead theme. It was equal parts creepy and heartwarming — a true horror lover’s farewell.

11. The Haunted Funeral Train of Abraham Lincoln

After Lincoln’s assassination, his funeral train journeyed 1,600 miles home to Illinois — and some say it still passes through towns along the route every April, the whistle echoing through the fog.

12. The Goth Glam Funeral Trend

From black lace caskets to fog machines and velvet-draped chapels, modern “goth glam” funerals are becoming a bold form of self-expression. Inspired by Victorian mourning rituals and Tim Burton aesthetics, these services celebrate individuality — proving that even in death, style never dies.

13. The Halloween Funeral at Wildflower (Someday)

We haven’t done it yet — but who’s to say a future Wildflower Halloween service couldn’t include costumes, candlelight, and a reading of “The Raven”? Death is serious, yes, but it’s also human, mysterious, and even — sometimes — a little fun to explore.

At Wildflower, We Celebrate All of It

Whether it’s ancient rituals, creative modern farewells, or spooky stories from beyond, we believe every way of honoring a life says something about love, mystery, and meaning.

After all — even on Halloween — remembering the dead is never truly scary. It’s a celebration of the stories that continue to live on.

Which reminds us — it’s never too early to preplan your scary sendoff! Are you a lifelong horror buff? Do you (like some of our Wildflower team members) treat Halloween décor as year-round home furnishing? Give us a call! Your well-meaning loved ones might not realize that black candles, zombie makeup, and goth music are your preferred farewell — and without a plan, you could end up with the pastel pink funeral of your nightmares.

Pre-planning helps keep you in the story. Whether your style is rainbows and unicorns or haunted house fog and Rocky Horror, we’ll make sure your final farewell feels authentically you. Contact us — or visit our pre-planning page — to start crafting your perfectly eerie (or delightfully weird) goodbye.

13 Spooky Funerals That Give Us Chills