Cremation Ceremonies

For an increasing number of people, the decision to cremate is simple. What they may or may not do with the ashes is a different matter entirely. While traditional burial is fairly straightforward, cremation opens up a world of choices for people planning for the future and their families. This decision comes with a variety of new concerns to address. By looking at the legal, religious and moral ramifications surrounding cremation, families can make the best selections for them and their loved ones' final wishes.

Legal Considerations

As cremation trends toward the norm across the United States, critics come out of the chemically-untreated woodwork. Cremation is an unsafe practice, they say. The act of cremation emits dangerous toxins into the environment, and consumes huge quantities of energy simply to turn one body into ashes. While some of these complaints have a small nugget of truth, the misrepresentation of information is striking. Experts claim that cremation and use of biodegradable urns are actually far more environmentally-friendly than a traditional burial, particularly when modern technologies and new approaches are used.

Classifying Cremation

When it comes to the environmental impacts of

Updated on 11/13/20

This article covers six different ways to scatter or bury ashes, including casting, burial in a trench, raking, scattering over water, aerial scattering and green burial.

Although there are certainly rules and laws regulating the disposition of ashes on land, water or in the air, your choices are largely left up to your own discretion. 

These ideas for scattering and burial ceremonies

As the popularity of cremation expands throughout the United States, many religious scholars and clerics find themselves stuck in a conundrum. Within the next few years, cremation will likely become the norm in the U.S. Even in the Jewish tradition, where cremation has been considered taboo for centuries, congregations are dealing with more faithful members who seek cremation when they die. With research and new interpretation of religious texts, many rabbis have found a middle ground to allow Jews who have been cremated to have a proper burial in a Jewish cemetery. When the family observes the proper stages of mourning and keep a kosher burial plan, many congregations will honor their loved one’s request to be cremated.

Interpreting the Jewish Laws

Halachah, the Jewish law, states that people who have died must be buried on land. Simply put, according to the Torah, people are endowed with their bodies by their creator. When they die, they are supposed

Updated on 11/16/2020

Green burials have grown in popularity in recent years as more people seek earth-friendly alternatives for final disposition of cremated remains.