1. Cost
If you look at the general price list for almost every funeral home, you’ll find that cremation costs are generally less than burial. On average, the price of a cremation service is approximately 45-50% lower than a burial service. This is because there is no need to purchase additional items such as a headstone or casket.
2. Flexibility
With burial, you have two options – interred underground in a plot or having the casket placed in a mausoleum. Cremation allows more options in terms of what can be done with your loved one’s ashes. You can scatter the ashes at a special location, you can store them in a beautiful urn, you can keep a small portion in memorial jewelry, you can turn them into fireworks, etc. There are many creative things you can do with cremated ashes. If you need ideas simply ask one of our professionals to get more ideas on things you can do with your loved one’s ashes.
3. Environmental Concerns
Many view cremation as a more “green" option than burial for various reasons. Burial often uses harsh chemicals to embalm the remains for a funeral service. This has fostered concerns that the chemicals can contaminate the environment. Burial also takes up land space and the Earth is disturbed to bury a casket. While a crematory does release emissions, new equipment is constantly being developed to reduce the pollution and environmental impact.
4. Simplicity
A cremation service can offer a much simpler process than a burial service. Generally, when people choose to burial, they choose to have a traditional funeral service as well. In this case, you must coordinate things with the cemetery, organize pallbearers, plan a visitation, and much more. While some people still choose to hold a traditional funeral along with a cremation, a celebration of life or memorial service are the types of ceremonies that are more commonly associated with a cremation. These ceremonies do not require as much planning in the days immediately following the death when your family is still grieving and reacting to the news.
5. Cemetery Availability
Cemetery plots across the United States are becoming scarce. As the supply of plots decreases, we have seen the price on burial plots increase, in turn. Cremation allows you to avoid the trouble of finding a burial plot and saves you the cost.
6. A More Relaxed Stance from Religions
In past years, many religions were strongly opposed to cremation. However, many religions have adjusted their view on cremation and have taken a more relaxed stance on the topic. For example, in 2016 the Vatican issued new guidelines on cremation. It touched on Catholics believing the soul is immortal and that it does not rely upon the physical body. Therefore, since cremation only impacts the physical body, the Vatican does not have any doctrinal objections to cremation. If you do choose cremation though, the ashes should not be scattered; they should be stored in a scared place (Bryner, 2016).
Sources:Bryner, J. (2016). Vatican issues new cremation guidelines for ‘faithfully departed’. Retrieved from https://www.livescience.com/56632-vatican-issues-new-cremation-guidelines.html