Cremation

As recently as the 1980s, cremation was not widely practiced in the United States. However, it has become an increasingly popular option over the past two decades. Trend forecasters expect that cremation will exceed the number of burials by 2025 and even become a much more significant percentage in the ensuing years. One reason for its rapid rise may be that through technology, we’ve become a very mobile population and no longer spend our lives in one place. Instead, we often find families scattered across the country and even the globe. When it comes to storing and transporting our remains, cremation has become the most efficient method to adapt to this paradigm shift.

History of Cremation

As a death ritual, cremation has been a human option for many thousands of years. Throughout history, its practice depended widely on culture and religion which heavily dictate funeral processes. The Egyptians famously prohibited cremation, while Hinduism and Jainism encouraged it. Ancient Romans often buried their dead while reserving cremation for the most esteemed members of their society. For many years, Christianity forbade its followers to burn their dead, lifting that centuries-old limitation by the mid-20th century.

The rise of modern Western cremation practices really began at the end of the 19th century when Londoners grew concerned that the number of dead and the space required to bury them were reaching maximum capacity within their burgeoning city’s limits. In order to control the spread of disease and leave more land for the living, these innovative Victorians began to look towards cremation as a space saving solution.

Benefits of Cremation

In addition to decreasing our physical footprint after death, cremation is often a much more affordable option than traditional burial because it omits the necessity of embalming, purchasing of a casket, or buying a cemetery plot and gravestone. While these options remain, those looking to shrink the cost of a traditional funeral service or invest in other aspects of the service may omit them if they so choose.

The cremation process also allows for a more unique distribution of remains, as they can be dispersed among family living in far apart places. Some might want their cremated remains scattered among locations significant to the individual or places significant to the relationship of the loved ones left to mourn. This in itself can take the shape of a personal ceremony that supports the grieving process in addition to, or independent of, a community funeral service.

Further, cremation that precedes a ceremony or funeral service relieves the pressure of timeliness. Any sort of memorial gathering can occur at a time that best suits the needs of family and friends to ensure that everyone is able to assemble for their final respects. Grieving in community allows us to find strength and support in a time we desperately need it.

The rise in cremation’s popularity has also given rise to the inclusion of a crematorium onsite at the funeral home. This means that there is no added transportation costs or timeline necessary, adding to its simplicity.

Options with Cremation

It is not an uncommon mistake to think that cremation is a replacement for funeral services. That is just not the case. These days, many cremation packages closely resemble traditional burial packages, although customization is simple when choosing either route.

Cremation is most fundamentally often an alternative to burial, or inhumation. This however, is also quickly becoming misinformation as more and more choose to inter the cremated remains of their loved ones in a traditional above or below ground resting place in order to create a meaningful space to hold for the deceased. Should a family wish to be buried together and one member chooses cremation after death, the cremated remains can be buried traditionally within an urn or other decorative and meaningful container.

Many choosing the cremation option also opt to hold viewings, services and celebrations of life knowing that most people share a need to create ceremony to mark the passing of a loved one. The actual cremation process can take place before or after these additional death customs or rituals have occurred. For some, it is very important to hold a public or private viewing of the deceased in order for friends and family to truly embark upon the grieving process.

For more information on our cremation services, contact us at Best Funeral Services: (623) 486-1955 (West Valley Chapel) or (602) 906-9600 (North Central Chapel).