Cremation has emerged as a more popular option for families who want a respectful and meaningful way to honour a loved one. As the current face of funerals continues to change, cremation provides flexibility, simplicity, and the opportunity to create very personal experiences of remembrance. Understanding how cremation works, as well as the handling of cremated remains, help families make informed decisions during a difficult time.
What Cremation Involves
Cremation is a reduction of the body to bone fragments by intense heat using a cremator. This carefully supervised process occurs at a licensed crematorium, according to strict guidelines for identification, dignity and respect. After the process is finished, the fragments of bone are cooled and then turned into a fine, sand-like material that is often referred to as ashes, although the correct term is cremated remains.
The entire process is designed to be transparent and accountable so that families are only given the cremated remains of their loved one. Modern crematoria also have clear protocols which ensure the highest standards of care from the moment the deceased arrives to the time the remains are returned to the family.
Why Families Prefer Cremation
Families choose cremation for many different reasons - cultural, practical, environmental or personal. Some like the flexibility it provides in the planning of a memorial service or thoughts on how to commemorate the deceased. Others want the simplicity and less significant impact that cremation may have when compared with traditional burials.
In many instances, cremation also gives families more time. A memorial service can be days, weeks or even months after the cremation, so that relatives have time to get together, travel, or reflect before organising a ceremony. This flexibility can be particularly beneficial for families that live far apart, or want to create a more personalised remembrance event.
The Treatment of Cremated Remains
Once the cremation has been completed, the families are issued the cremated remains in a temporary container or in an urn of the family's choosing. For many, what to do with the remains becomes an important part of the grieving process. There is no one "correct" option, but rather families decide what is most meaningful and culturally appropriate to them.
Some families prefer to keep the cremated remains at home in a decorative urn, which creates a permanent memorial space. Others choose scattering in a place that held personal significance to the deceased. This may be a garden, wood, coast, designated scattering area in a crematorium. When in a public place, they will often look at any guidelines in the locals area to ensure respect for the environment and others.
Becoming More Popular Memorial Choices
As cremation has become more common, there have been new memorial options for cremated remains. Some families decide to be interred in a memorial garden of a crematorium where ashes are stored in a plot or niche. Others prefer to split the remains among family members, so that several people may create personal memorials. Cremated remains can also be used in keepsakes, jewellery or biodegradable urns that can be designed to be returned naturally back to the earth or water.
Eco-friendly memorials have also become popular. Biodegradable urns, memorial trees and natural landscape burials can be a way for those who are environmentally conscious to honour a loved one whilst making a positive contribution to nature.
The Emotional Value of the Cremated Remains
For many people, the cremated remains hold great emotional meaning. They offer a physical point of connection, and help families to navigate the feelings of grief and remembrance in their own way. Whether stored in their home, buried in a memorial garden or scattered in some meaningful area, cremated remains symbolize both closure and continuity.
Cremation ultimately provides families with the opportunity to develop a departure that is personal, based on personal beliefs, traditions, and values. By understanding how cremation works and exploring the many possible ways to honour cremated remains, families can choose a path that feels respectful, comforting and true to the life being remembered.