Man is mortal and death is to be expected. However, death, to a human being is a sad and solemn occasion.
The funeral that follows should also be a solemn one, appropriate to the occasion. Contrary to popular public beliefs, the noisy elaborate and sometimes showy
Chinese funeral processions which cost thousands of dollars and often alluded to as normal Buddhist practice, are not Buddhist practices, at all. They are just the perpetuation of
age-old customs and traditions handed down from past generations. People of other faiths do often wonder, when viewing such a procession, as to whether it was a procession celebrating some happy festival or a solemn funeral. Although Buddhism does not object to the perpetuating of such practices, so long as they do not conflict with the teachings of Buddha,
it is felt that it is time that any wasteful, uneconomical and unnecessary practices which are not beneficial to the departed should be eliminated.The performance of such elaborate traditional ceremonies or death rituals which sometimes go on for days and weeks, should also be discouraged or discarded. Another tradition practice is the
burning of joss-paper and symbolic paper houses, designed for the benefit of a deceased person. This is definitely un-Buddhistic in character and should be eradicated. The rites attached to a
Buddhist funeral should be simple, solemn, dignified and meaningful. Buddhist monks may be invited to the house of the deceased to chant sutras prior to a funeral. Such services are rendered voluntarily by Buddhist monks without any charge. The offering of flowers and the burning of joss-sticks and candles are normal accepted practices. On the day of the funeral, the services of Buddhist Monks would again be called for to perform the requisite religious service at the home and at the cemetery. It has been the practice of the
Chinese to offer all types of cooked food including roasted pig and chicken as symbolic offerings for the deceased. This again, is just a traditional practice not encouraged by Buddhism. Simple floral tributes together with the burning of incense and candles would suffice as symbolic offerings.
The slaughtering of innocent animals to serve as sacrificial offerings to the departed ones is definitely against the teachings of the compassionate Buddha and should be completely eradicated. 
http://www.buddhanet.net/pdf_file/buddhist_funeral.pdf
