12 Things to Know About Cremation
When it comes to burial, cremation has become a widely known alternative that the traditional one where the deceased body is in a casket and buried on the ground. Almost half of the American people choose cremation as a way to handle the remains of their loved ones for a few reasons. Below are the things you probably did not know about Cremation.
- Did you know that it takes about 1400 degrees Fahrenheit to cremate a body? It takes a lot of that heat to cremate a body to get rid of the organic compounds that a body has and they use natural gas to fuel the fire. In fact, In the UK, there are about 70% of dead bodies are being cremated each year because of the limited burial space. In 2016, people choose cremation as a default option because of many reasons one of which is convenience. Canada, for example, prefers cremation for about 15 years.
- It is cheaper to have cremation than a traditional burial. Many people choose cremation over traditional burial because it is much cheaper and more convenient. A cremation would only cost you around $1000 as compared to traditional burial that would cost you around $6000 to $8000 on an average. Moreover, in cremation, you can customize your option depending on your preference. If you want a more affordable and convenient cremation, they can give you what you want. You can choose what works for you. In fact, you can always shop around and look for cheaper cremation services that will fit into your budget.
- The coffin is withdrawn into a committal room to ensure that the nameplate of the coffin is correctly identified. Actually, the coffin is labeled with a card according to the name of the person being cremated and all the necessary information. The card stays with the body until the final disposal of the cremation ashes. Then, the coffin is placed in the cremator that will only allow a standard sized coffin to fit.
- Cremated ashes are not purely ashes at all. Some are actually bone fragments. While most people call it as ashes, when in fact some of it is bone fragments of the body of a person. These bone fragments are broken down until they turn into something like rough sand. People who are quite taller than others have more remains because of the size of their bones.
- You can take the ashes anywhere you want. Since ashes do not decompose, you have the liberty of taking them to different places. If you want to bury or scatter the ashes in a location where you find it memorable, you may do so. However, if you are going to transport the ashes in different places, you have to follow the guidelines set by airlines. The rules in transporting human remains can be quite strict. Some countries require sanitation permit when transporting the ashes.
- When the cremation process is through, the ashes are actually placed in a cooling tray to let it cool down. The metals are then removed and the ashes are reduced to fine white ash called bone ash.
- When a person’s remains are never collected by the family, most of the funeral parlors are required to keep it for a certain time and it depends on the guidelines set by their respective locals. However, when the remains are still not collected for a longer period, like for several years already, the funeral parlor may be allowed to dispose of the ashes but it should be in a respectful manner because after all, those are remains of a person. They are duty bound to respect it. In some countries, there are laws that govern crematory. If they mishandle the body of the deceased, they can be liable for damages to the family.
- The duration for cremating a body is the same as watching a long movie. Cremation actually takes about two to three hours because of the extreme heat, which makes it faster for the body to burn.
- You can opt for a cremation and a funeral at the same time. It is a misconception by many people that once there is a cremation, they think that there is no funeral anymore. Many crematorial services are very willing to do a cremation and a funeral and it depends on your preference. They can also suggest a florist that will help you pick the funeral flowers that you like to put beside the urn of your loved one.
- You can bury the cremated remains at a cemetery. Some cemeteries designate a place for cremated bodies. There are about 10% of cremated bodies are put in a gravesite. You can also opt to bury it in your back yard for easy access. However, you have to follow the rules set by your local authorities.
- You can ask crematories that someone may witness the whole cremation process. However, you have to inform them ahead of time so that they will arrange the schedule for you.
- If you are afraid that multiple bodies will be cremated with other people, do not worry because it is actually prohibited by law for crematories to cremate several people together.
There are a lot of things that you have to consider when you choose to cremate the dead body of your loved one. But the top thing that you have to consider is whether your loved one will agree to cremating his body if he is still alive.
