Making the Decision to be Cremated

Throughout our lives we are prompted with questions and decisions all around us. What will I do today? Where will I go? How will I afford what I need? Even in the issue of death we have to make decisions. One major decision a person has to make before they pass away is whether they want to be cremated or buried. A majority of American people choose to be buried because that’s what they are familiar with, because maybe that’s just what their family members have done for as long as they can remember. Another possible reason that burial is a more likely choice is because of the lack of knowledge in America on cremation and its advantages.

Cremation’s history took a rocky start in America. Many were skeptical of this new, to them, option for final disposal. After time, and research, this unconvinced country has been swayed over by cremation, and it has become almost as common in America as being buried is. Cremation is a process of final disposal through incineration of the deceased. The body is placed in a cremation container, like those made by McDonald Containers, typically made of cardboard or wood, and then the cremation tray is placed within a furnace to be heated. With the high temperatures within this crematorium the body is cremated into only bones and ashes. From there, these bone fragments and ashes are ground into a powder known as cremains.

After the disposal process is complete, families are free to take the cremains and do with them as they please. Some families choose to buy an ornate jar and place the remains on a mantel or somewhere in their house to commemorate the deceased. Some choose to disperse the remains in the deceased’s favorite location or a special place to those left behind.

One great thing about cremation is the fact that it can be completed at a lower cost than a burial. Cremation eliminates various different expenses that go hand and hand with burials. With cremation, there is no need to purchase a grave spot or a head stone, no need to pick a location to be buried or decide what type of casket. The costs that coincide with cremation are minimal in comparison to burials.

Click here to view a pdf of the article.

Additional Articles

• “The Start of Cremation in America”
• “Cremation and Religion: Recent Practice or Ancient Tradition?”
• “Low Economy Drives Many to Choose Cremation”
• “Guidelines for Scattering Ashes”
• “How to Become a Known Shipper”
• “Indigent Burials and the Funeral Industry”
• “International Transportation of Bodies”
• “Pet Cremation Industry”
• “The Shipment of Cremated Remains”
• “Transporting Human Remains from Mexico to the US”
• “Transporting Human Remains from the US to Mexico”
• “TSA Regulations for Flying with Cremations Urns”
• “Unique ways to Scatter the Ashes of Loved Ones”