More people are choosing cremation over burial for so many reasons. In the early years, cremation wasn’t familiar to some, and others started making superstitious belief about it making burial as the number one disposition method. If we compare it through statistics today, more than 50% are getting cremated, and maybe around 95% knows about cremation.
Why did the rates of cremation suddenly rise over the years? Many people may not know the average cost of cremation back in the day, and they only believed that burial is the only way to deliver someone. A lot of people have their reasons rather than thinking about how cheap cremation is. Here are a few big reasons as to why:
- Religion
Religion may have been the main reason why people have opted for burial, but now, this has also been one of the reasons why people choose cremation. Religions, such as Judaism and Catholics have opposed cremation before. In recent years, some churches that own cemeteries are starting to make columbariums to place the ashes of the cremated person. This means that these religious institutions have been more relaxed now about cremation.
Others also choose a cremation because they don’ t want to be affiliated with any religious traditions, why people are calling them “nones.”
- Expense
Cremation is generally cheaper than the traditional burial. There are a lot of parts in a ground burial that is not necessary for cremation. A burial needs a land, a headstone or gravestone, and a casket which is not required for cremation, except if you want to bury the urn. It also skips the embalming process, which is one of the expensive steps in a ground burial.
- Environmental Concern
Traditional burial takes a large space of the land, and they are not suitable to build houses after because that’s when horror stories are made. The chemicals that we use in embalming causes harm to the environment. These days, cremation is chosen by people because a lot of us are concern about the environment. Movements for a more environment-friendly cremation are even pushed through to reduce chemicals such as carbon and alkaline that can kill plants and animals.
- Less Traditional and More Personal
Most families prefer the burial of a family member more private and personal. It is important to choose the kind of funeral where you feel comfortable. Cremation gives off that type of feeling when you start scattering the ashes. There are a lot of choices to scatter ashes; in the sea, air, their favorite place, being buried under a tree and through fireworks. You can also have a moment for yourself and your loved when scattering the ashes.
Cremation is also convenient for families who don’t live close to each other. The location for the burial is not also a problem because you can bring the urn when you move and you don’t have to go back to the place you lived before to visit them.
- Simple and Flexible
An urn is much easier to carry than a casket. Cremation is simple, and you have less trouble to take care to since it doesn’t involve the part where you choose the casket design, the headstone engravings, and other details.
Cremations are popular because it takes up so little of your time than those of a traditional burial. It is also easier to bring the urn from one place to another. People can share and hold the remain until you decide the final step of the funeral.
- Customization
One great reason for a family to choose cremation is because of the endless customization. Cremation can make you choose a better way to remember your loved one. Personalization also correlates to customization since family urns create a customized urn suited for the personality of the deceased person.
Other people scatter the ashes in the person’s favorite place or make a coral out of their ashes to house the fishes. Koreans turn their loved one’s ashes into beads, and a lot more.
If you are one of those people who don’t want to be bothered with the traditional funeral, you can always opt for cremation. It is important to be certain in deciding the best way to go for your loved one. If you plan your funeral, you should ask your loved one to help you decide which is better. This can give them time to process your decision and also reconcile any conflict you have with a religious institution.
Though some of your family members will struggle about the idea of planning your funeral, if you are going through a terminal illness, they have to understand. Planning with grief would take time since most of us are emotional beings. You tend to focus more on moving on if you have it planned.
You should all know that whatever happens in the future, we’ll still see each other on the other side.