Choosing a final resting place will be the furthest thing from most people’s minds during the busy festive period.
But new figures have revealed that space in Aberdeen is at something of a premium.
Of the 20 cemeteries across the city, just three have lairs that are still available for purchase.
Thousands are already taken, meaning the only places open for bookings are at Hazlehead, Newhills and Dyce.
Council officials estimate that lairs can still be bought at Newhills for the next 15 years, at Dyce for 20 and at Hazlehead, where there is room for major expansion, for up to 300 years.
Neil Cooney, convener of communities, housing and infrastructure, said: “We still have provision at Hazlehead, so I don’t think there is concern.
“However, what we will be doing is working with our officers to make sure that there is provision for people to book a lair because loved ones need to know that the right arrangements can be made.”
Other cemeteries are the Grove, which has about 7,500 lairs, Allenvale with 16,000, Nellfield with 5,600, Springbank with 12,000, Oldmachar with 1,800, St Peter’s Churchyard with 8,300, St Fitticks Churchyard with 120, St Mary’s Chapel of Stoneywood with 20, Nigg Churchyard with 890, St Nicholas Kirkyard with 2,400, St Clements Churchyard with 1,100, Trinity with 11,300 and Peterculter Churchyard with 2,000.
Meanwhile, a council spokeswoman has revealed there were 21 “paupers” funerals in the city over the past year.
The figure is down slightly on the previous year, when there were 26.
The services are classed as public health or environmental funerals by the local authority.
In 2012/13, there were 36 and in 2011/12 there were 42. The figure for 2010/11 was 38 and for 2009/10 it was 41.
However, the council has been unable to provide information on the costs of the services.
A spokeswoman said: “There is no statutory requirement to collate the estimated costs of public health funerals and to do so would be extremely difficult as costs and income come into the accounts over several years and accounts remain open for many years.”