Cremation - All The Tradition Of A Funeral Plus New Options
Posted on: 9 February 2015
Many people around the world choose to have cremation services rather than a burial of their deceased loved ones. Even in the US, cremation rates are rising rapidly according to studies by the National Funeral Directors Association. This is because, contrary to what you may have heard, choosing cremation does not limit your choices when it comes to services and memorializing your loved one even in the most traditional of ways.
What's the Same
Even if choosing a cremation after the completion of your funeral services, you can still have a traditional service if you want to. For many families, the presence of a casket as they say goodbye is either a necessity of grieving or a tradition. If this is the case, such a thing can be accomplished with the use of a rented casket or a cremation casket (a particular type of casket designed to be cremated). All the same funeral traditions can be followed according to the family's tastes and beliefs. After the funeral services, the cremation can be quietly carried out instead of a traditional burial.
If your family chooses to have an immediate cremation, you may simply have a memorial service instead of a funeral service. If this is your choice, keep in mind that it may be important to provide time for the family or friends to privately view the body before cremation, as this can be an important part of the grieving process.
New Options for Cremation
What is different about cremation is that you actually now have more options to memorialize your family member or friend. While most people think of the traditional urn on the family mantel, in reality there are many alternatives today for spreading ashes or creating unique memorials. These include such things as biodegradable sprinkling containers designed for sea burials, specially-designed vessels for using the ashes to plant a garden or trees, or even memorial glass art or jewelry that make use of some of the deceased's ashes.
Why Choose Cremation?
Many people are opting for cremation due to lower costs - up to half the cost of a traditional burial. Aside from cost, cremation may allow you to easily move your loved one's remains in the future - something that traditional burial usually does not allows. It also opens up ways to keep your family or friend close to your heart and to provide a more personalized send-off that fits the style and personality of the person being honored.
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