Eastern Orthodox and Greek Orthodox funeral customs and costs in New Zealand
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An Eastern or Greek Orthodox funeral is a church rite. The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia describes a vigil over the body, a Trisagion service, a funeral service and a graveside committal in which the priest pours oil and casts sand, followed by memorial services through the first year. Orthodox practice favours burial.
The Archdiocese says the funeral service, "although not considered as specifically sacramental, is a special liturgical rite", and that when a person dies "the Church serves a special vigil over the lifeless body" (Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia: Death and mourning). That page is Australian, and we could not find a New Zealand Greek Orthodox page that sets out the funeral steps, so treat it as the only named source we have and confirm every detail with your own parish priest. Orthodox families in New Zealand come from more than one national tradition, and parish custom differs. This page describes what the sources support and leaves the rest to the family and the church.
The stages of an Orthodox funeral
The Archdiocese page sets out these stages. Names and exact timing can vary by parish.
| Stage | What the Archdiocese page says |
|---|---|
| Trisagion at the time of death | A brief service chanted by the priest "just after the person has died, in the home or hospital" |
| Vigil and a second Trisagion | A vigil over the body, and a Trisagion on the evening before the funeral, in the funeral home or the church |
| Funeral service | A liturgical rite that is not counted as a sacrament; a sermon is preached and people give a "final kiss" before they are dismissed |
| Graveside | After the funeral service, at the cemetery, the priest pours oil crosswise on the departed before the coffin is lowered, then casts sand into the grave with words from scripture |
| Memorial services (mnimosino) | Performed in the church at the third, sixth, ninth and twelfth months and then annually, with others on the 40th day and on the Saturdays of the souls; not held on certain feast days such as Christmas Day, Pentecost and the Dormition on 15 August |
The same page says that koliva (kollyva), the boiled wheat prepared for memorials, "express[es] belief in everlasting life", and that the practice of throwing the plate of koliva into the grave and breaking it is not a Christian practice of the church and is discouraged.
The page mentions that people give a "final kiss" before they are dismissed at the end of the funeral service, but it does not describe an open casket or a meal after the burial, so we do not set those out. Many families hold a gathering after the funeral, but we found no source that says what an Orthodox parish expects. Ask the priest what the church requires and what is family custom.
Burial, and the question of cremation
Orthodox practice has long been to bury the dead. The Archdiocese page does not mention cremation, so for the church's position we read an article on cremation reproduced by the Orthodox Christian Information Center, written by Protopresbyter George Grabbe in the Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia tradition. It reports that in 1932 that church's Council of Bishops resolved that "as a matter of principle, the incineration of the bodies of Orthodox Christians in crematoria is not permitted", with individual extenuating cases left to the diocesan bishop. It adds that there has been "no direct decision by the entire Church" and no explicit canon against cremation, though it argues the custom of burial is ancient and binding (Orthodox Christian Information Center: Cremation).
That is one historical statement from one tradition, not a ruling for every Orthodox parish. Some descriptions of this topic state that cremation is flatly forbidden. Our sources do not go that far: they describe a strong preference for burial and leave exceptions to the bishop. If cremation is under consideration, ask the priest and, if needed, the bishop's office before you book anything.
What burial costs in New Zealand
If the family chooses burial, the council's plot and interment fee is usually the largest single difference from a cremation. These are the figures we could read on 20 October 2026, GST included, for a weekday adult burial by a resident:
| Council | Plot plus burial (our sum) | Source year |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland, Manukau Memorial Gardens | $6,770 (right $5,360, burial $1,410) | Page prints no fee year |
| Christchurch | $3,460 (plot $2,071, interment $1,389) | 2026/27 |
| Dunedin, main cemeteries | $6,082.40 (rights, interment and service fee) | 2026/27 |
| Tauranga, Pyes Pā | $8,426 (plot and maintenance $6,388, burial $2,038) | As at 1 July 2026 |
| Nelson | $4,760 (plot $3,315, burial $1,445) | 2026/27 |
Wellington's Mākara cemetery prints a total of $2,754 for a plaque-lawn adult plot, but that includes a beam and maintenance fee, so it is not a like-for-like comparison with the others. The sources are Auckland Council, Christchurch City Council, Dunedin City Council, Tauranga City Council and Nelson City Council. Our Auckland and Christchurch pages have the detail, and our burial plot cost page covers the rest. A private cemetery can cost more: one Auckland director lists North Shore Memorial Park plots with interment at $5,200 to $9,900 (Dils price list, May 2026).
Against a whole funeral, the Funeral Directors Association of New Zealand (FDANZ) puts a full funeral with cremation at an average of $11,700 and the same with burial at $14,300, which is $2,600 more by our arithmetic (FDANZ 2026 Industry Trends Report). We found no sourced figure for a double plot, so ask the council or cemetery what it offers before you assume one.
Timing and out-of-hours fees
FDANZ notes that "religious beliefs decide the timings for some people" (FDANZ: Funeral and farewell choices). If the church service falls on a weekend or public holiday, council burial surcharges apply. Auckland Council lists, at Manukau Memorial Gardens, a Sunday burial at $1,235 extra and a public-holiday burial at $2,060; Tauranga adds $900 for a Saturday or after 4pm and $1,030 on a public holiday; Christchurch adds $846 for a Saturday or public holiday; Nelson allows no Sunday burials and no interments on public holidays. A fee of that size can decide whether a Saturday service is practical.
Planning for the memorial milestones
The memorial services at three, six, nine and twelve months, then annually, are gatherings with their own costs. We found no sourced price for them, and the Archdiocese page does not say whether a parish charges. For a rough guide to hospitality, FDANZ's indicative catering range is $15 to $25 a head, so 40 people is $600 to $1,000 by our arithmetic, before venue or any church donation. Ask the parish what to expect and agree who in the family covers each memorial, so the costs do not fall on one person. Our headstones page covers the monument, for which we found no sourced Orthodox-specific price.
Paying for it
The Work and Income Funeral Grant has a maximum of $2,697.43 as at 1 April 2026, tested on income and assets; the expenses it counts include burial fees and clergy (Work and Income: Funeral Grant). Funeral insurance is a way for a person to plan ahead. Momentum Life's Funeral Insurance, issued by Momentum Life Limited, accepts New Zealanders aged 40 to 75 and pays a fixed $3,000 to $30,000 towards costs; in the first 24 months it pays only for accidental death within 90 days of the accident, premiums are refunded for any other death in that window, and total premiums can exceed the benefit. Momentum Life is rated B (Fair) by A.M. Best (financial strength). See the funeral insurance hub. The buttons on this page open Momentum's online quote. QuoteHub is a Momentum Life partner and Smiths Insurance & KiwiSaver may receive a commission (how we are paid).
How we made this page
The QuoteHub Editorial Team wrote this page on 20 October 2026 from the sources listed below, with AI assistance. It has not been reviewed by an Orthodox priest or community member, and where our sources stop, we say so. Corrections are welcome through our contact page. Back to the when someone dies guide.
Adviser's view
Orthodox practice favours burial, so the cost question is mostly a burial question: plot, interment and any out-of-hours fee, plus later memorial gatherings. The strength of the objection to cremation is not uniform, and the sources we read leave the decision to the church, so the priest is the person to ask. We found no sourced price for memorials or for any Orthodox-specific service.
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Cite this page QuoteHub NZ (2026). Orthodox Funeral Traditions NZ: Greek & Eastern. www.quotehub.co.nz/guides/when-someone-dies/orthodox-funeral-traditions-nz. Updated 2026-10-20.
References
- Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia: Death and mourning
- Orthodox Christian Information Center: Cremation
- FDANZ: 2026 New Zealand Funeral Industry Trends Report (PDF)
- FDANZ: Funeral and farewell choices
- Auckland Council: Cemetery fees and charges
- Christchurch City Council: Cemetery fees
- Dunedin City Council: Burial and related fees
- Tauranga City Council: Cemetery, parks and crematorium fees
- Nelson City Council: Cemetery fees and charges
- Wellington City Council: Mākara Cemetery fees
- Dils: Standard price list as at May 2026 (PDF)
- Work and Income: Funeral Grant
- Momentum Life: Financial strength
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