"There is a period over Christmas when funerals are not happening, " said Gus Nichols, president of the Irish Association of Funeral Directors. "A lot of medical teams will be operating with reduced numbers and GPs may not be on duty, so there will be fewer people to sign the relevant paperwork. Some of the public cemeteries will close between the 24th and the 27th. All of this will have an effect on funeral arrangements in that period, and will have a knock-on effect into the next week or so."

However, in most cases, the funeral home will be on duty. People will draw comfort by the very fact that there is a person on the other end of a phone line who knows what needs to be done . . . and even from the fact that there is somebody there to listen to them.

"People usually don't know what to do, " said Nichols. "The immediate task is to establish the legal position regarding the cause of death, and a death certificate has to be signed by the hospital or a GP (unless it is the case of a sudden death, where it becomes the responsibility of a coroner). Once that has been ascertained, we can assist the family in making decisions . . . ringing churches, etc. We meet the family, and go through with them all the arrangements that need to be made . . . because in some cases you will have people who feel that they know what to do, but who may actually be wrong about procedures."

An important change to the law has meant that the process of certification of death has now changed, and the onus is now on the next of kin rather than on the hospital to register the death. But, as with other issues, the funeral director can calmly and compassionately guide the bereaved through the process. And, in addition to managing the practical side of death, a good funeral director will, through his or her professionalism and demeanour, offer a sort of unofficial counselling service to the family.

"We're not trained as bereavement counsellors, " explained Nichols. "But a good funeral director will have many of the elements of a counsellor, and people take solace by the fact that we have been through this many times, and we know what we are doing."

However, for people who need professional help to get them through this difficult period, there are a number of avenues that they can go down.

For example the Bereavement Counselling Service, which operates out of Baldoyle and St Ann's Church on Dawson Street (01 8391766 and 01 6768882) offers some much needed advice for people suffering a bereavement, especially over the Christmas period.

"People are resilient and usually heal by themselves, " said Mairead McGuinness of the Bereavement Counselling Service. "Grief is a normal and natural emotional reaction to loss. It is not a problem to be solved but rather a process that takes a great deal of time, energy and determination to work through."

The service offers a number of suggestions to help people cope, including believing that things will get better and never being afraid to let your children, family or friends see you cry.

"Be kind to yourself. Take time out. Learn to say no, " said McGuinness. "It is common to experience physical reactions to grief. Use any supports you can avail of - family members, friends, work colleagues . . . and give yourself permission to get professional help if you feel you need it."

She suggests that, specifically for the Christmas period, people should plan beforehand how and where they want to spend the day of the holiday . . . although they should arrange with their host or hostess beforehand that if they feel overwhelmed at any time, they can leave quietly without any fuss.

"Remember, letting go does not mean forgetting and that while life will never be the same again it can be worth living, " said McGuinness. "You will change, your values may change and you will see life from a new and different perspective."