More Americans are choosing to be cremated than ever before, with cremation rates projected to be 56 percent as of 2020. That figure will climb to a remarkable 63 percent by 2025.
The idea of a graveyard burial is no longer as popular as it used to be just a few years ago. Views on death are undergoing a rapid transformation, with people preferring other options for being laid to rest besides interment.
But exactly what is cremation? Why do people get cremated, and should you opt for this type of final farewell?
If you’re asking these questions, you’ve come to the right place. Keep reading to learn more.
Cremation refers to the final disposition of a dead body through the burning of the body. There are several types of cremation, but all are meant to serve as either a funeral or post-funeral rite.
In certain countries, such as India, cremation is an ancient tradition. In western countries, the practice has become increasingly popular over the years as an alternative to burial.
One of the benefits of cremation is that the process is straightforward. The first step entails identifying the deceased and obtaining proper authorization to proceed with the cremation. Next comes the preparation of the body and its placement in a proper container.
In step three, the container that has the body is moved to the cremation chamber. Once the cremation is over, the remains are ground into ashes. The final stage on the day of cremation involves transferring the ashes to an urn that the deceased’s family provides.
There are many reasons for the increasing popularity of cremation in America today. Here are some of them.
The top reason people opt for cremation instead of interment is the cost. A traditional burial costs $7,360 on average. This cost doesn’t include the burial plot itself or a headstone.
Cremation costs far much less. Costs start from around $500. Certainly, the charges may increase depending on what the family feels to be the right cremation package for their deceased loved one. However, the overall cost will still be significantly lower, given that there’s no need for a casket, burial plot, and the other associated costs of a traditional burial.
Is cremation good for the environment? The simple answer is yes.
Sure, there are more natural ways than cremation to dispose of dead bodies, such as alkaline hydrolysis and green burial. However, cremation is still a lot more eco-friendly than a traditional burial.
A typical conventional burial requires a casket or coffin, a plot of land, and body embalming services. While some people still opt to bury the urn after the cremation, that generally requires only a fraction of the space burying a coffin would.
With embalming, chemicals like formaldehyde end up in the earth, causing pollution. Cremation doesn’t involve this.
The resources used in cremation are significantly fewer. There are no worries about a headstone or components for making a casket.
Almost every traditional burial memorializes the deceased through a grave and a gravestone. Sure, this can be a powerful symbol for your legacy, but it limits the flexibility for your grieving family.
With cremation, the options for ash holders are endless. Your loved ones can opt to keep the ashes or scatter them somewhere meaningful to you, depending on your wishes.
For families that choose to keep the ashes of their deceased loved one in a unique memorial container, such as an urn, it serves as a powerful memento to them. It helps comfort the grieving family by knowing that their loved one is still physically close to them.
Some people go for even more creative options, such as having their ashes turned into jewelry. You can also have your ashes pressed into a vinyl record or have it turned into a reef on the floor of the ocean.
It’s only natural to worry about what’ll happen to your body once you’re gone. For many people, taking great care of their deceased loved one’s grave is an essential part of their lives.
One of the drawbacks of a burial is that it’s hardly possible to move the site of your grave as soon as your body is interred. With cremation, your ashes are in an urn or some other small memento, which means that your loved ones can bring you with them to any part of their world.
When someone passes away without a clear end-of-life plan, it’s up to the family to make funeral arrangements. Sometimes, this is a burden that could take days or weeks. If the death happened suddenly and unexpectedly, friends and family would need time to make travel arrangements to the funeral.
One of the best things about cremation is that it can be done shortly after death. Thus, the burden of preserving the body at a funeral home is averted. The deceased’s ashes can then be preserved in an urn at home as the family makes funeral arrangements and allows people ample time to travel for the final send-off.
During the funeral, the urn can be used in the place of a casket.
Hopefully, you now have answers for your question, “why do people get cremated?” As you have seen, there are numerous benefits to choosing this option, from affordability to eco-friendliness to flexibility.
Are you interested in a cremation package that suits your current needs perfectly? Please, contact us today.
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