Tip!
Today you have a variety of choices on what to use to hold your cremated remains and where to place them. You may choose a
single cremation urn, companion cremation urn, cremation urn jewelry, keepsake cremation urns, custom cremation urns, personalized
cremation urns, urn art, urn sculptures or a pet urn for your best friend.
Most adults today know that a person
can be buried or they can be cremated once they have died. A burial is a fairly straightforward process and this is something
that most children have knowledge of. But a cremation can be something that puzzles family members, incurring more questions
than answers. This article serves to give answers to those questions.
Cremation is the process of using intense heat
to reduce the body to bone fragments and ashes. It normally takes two to four hours for this process to be completed. The
cremated remains weigh three to nine pounds, depending on the size of the body.
There appears to be a trend toward cremation, particularly on the West and East Coasts. People choose cremation
because of the expense of traditional funerals, the diminishing space for cemeteries and the environmental concerns. In England
and Japan the cremation rate is 90%, partly because cemetery space is at a premium price.
Caskets are not required for
a cremation. But there is a requirement that the body be enclosed in a rigid container. Mortuaries must have an unfinished
wooden box or similar cremation container available to their customers. Alternately, customers may furnish their own container.
Tip!
Infant Cremation Urn - Cremation Urn that can accommodate one child (standard sizes are between 5 - 75 ci).
The
costs of a cremation range in price. If the family uses an undertaker to take care of all services, from transporting the
body, obtaining permits and filing the death certificate, the fee can be in the thousands of dollars. On the other hand,
many licensed funeral homes that care for their own dead can use crematories at charges from under $300.
Tip!
Companion Urn - Cremation Urn that can accommodate two adults or one large adult.
There are a couple ways to
have the funeral service. You may opt to have the visitation and funeral service with the body present, prior to cremation.
Some mortuaries will rent a casket to the family. After the service, the body is transferred to an inexpensive cremation
container. Many find it helpful to have a memorial service without the body present. This option is less costly and friends
and family members appreciate this opportunity to pay tribute to the memory of the loved one.
Tip!
Traditional Cremation Urn - Usually made from Hand-blown Glass, Marble, Metal(s) and/or Wood that can accommodate one adult
(standard size is approx.
People have many choices regarding what to do with the cremated remains. They can
be placed in a niche in a columbarium, buried, scattered, or kept by the family. A columbarium is a set of niches that are
designed to hold containers of cremated remains. These are usually located in the mausoleum with a cemetery. You can sometimes
find niches within churches to hold the remains. The remains are sterile and do not pose a health hazard.
Tip!
There are several different cremation urns available today.
You do not have to purchase an urn for the cremated
remains. The remains are returned to a metal, plastic, or cardboard container that is adequate for burial, shipping, or placing
in a columbarium. But the family may prefer a more aesthetic urn.
Religions vary regarding cremation. The Roman Catholics
give their members a choice between burial and cremation. The Greek and Jewish Orthodox faiths oppose cremation. If you
are particularly religious, it would behoove you to investigate how your religion views cremation.
Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Funerals |
