Why Choose Cremation?

August 26, 2021 7:17 pm Published by Writer Leave your thoughts

The amount of people who are using cremation services across the United States is growing, according to the Cremation Association of North America. In 2019, the cremation rate was 54.6 percent, and in 2020, it was 56.1 percent. If these trends continue, by 2025, the cremation rate will be 65.2 percent, and by 2030, it will be 72.8 percent.

So now that we’ve established that many individuals are having their remains stored in cremation urns, the obvious question is, “Why?” This article will cover why more folks are opting for cremation services, with reasons ranging from the practical to the spiritual.

Cost

This is the number one reason for choosing cremation over a traditional embalming and burial service. Cremation can cost 40 to 50 percent less than a conventional burial service because you’re able to skip the embalming, headstone and grave. Not to mention that cremation urns are typically significantly cheaper than caskets.

More flexible timing

A classic funeral and burial service severely limits the amount of time you have to plan and hold a funeral. Because the body begins to decompose immediately after death, the funeral needs to be held within 10 days of death. This is because the embalming process simply slows decomposition—it doesn’t stop it completely.

With cremation, you can store the ashes safely and still hold a funeral service and even a burial whenever you want. You could wait months if you had to so that relatives who live far away could attend the service. It’s nice to have that kind of flexibility.

Environmental concerns

Many people today are more environmentally conscious than in generations past. They realize that the burial process, which requires chemicals for embalming, plots of land and wood for a casket, leaves a more sizable carbon footprint than cremation does. For those who prefer to “go green,” cremation is a viable alternative to classic burial services.

More options on what to do with remains

If you elect to have your body embalmed, put in a casket and buried, then (barring some extenuating circumstances) it will lie there for the rest of eternity. But if you have your remains cremated, there are many things you can do with the ashes.

If you have multiple children who live far apart from each other, you could have your remains divided up among them so that they can all have a piece of your essence. If there’s a place that was special to you throughout your life, you could have your ashes scattered there. Or you could even have your ashes buried if you’d like to have a stationary, final resting place after you’ve passed.

More religions are allowing it

For a long time, the Catholic Church was clear on their stance of what should happen after someone dies: The person was to be buried with their whole body intact, if possible, with a Catholic funeral service in a Catholic cemetery. But a 2016 edict affirmed that cremation is now an acceptable form of burial, and multiple Catholic priests have expressed their desire to be cremated upon their death. This is just one example of many religions changing their stance on the viability of cremation services.

Call to discuss cremation services today

Reading some of the reasons that more people are choosing to be cremated may make you curious about the service for you or your loved ones. If that’s the case, give us a call at Marik-Baken Funeral Services Ltd. We can help you and your family find a fitting end-of-life solution for your body that everyone will be satisfied with.