Planning a funeral isn’t a fun thing to think about. Yet one decision affects the cost, the place you can be laid to rest, and when it happens.
This is the ‘cremation vs burial’ question.
By 2023, the cremation rate in the US is predicted to reach 59.4 percent. Yet burial is also a traditional choice, with its own benefits and pitfalls.
Are you stuck on the ‘burial vs cremation’ question? Read on to learn about the differences between them.
Flexible or Fixed Funeral Services?
For a burial, funeral directors follow a strict schedule of events. Funeral services are often very similar, taking the planning out of the family’s hands. This can be very helpful during a period of mourning.
Burials tend to happen soon after death. Since the funeral happens before the burial, families don’t have much time to prepare. This can be part of a cultural or religious tradition, in which case burial may be the better option.
Cremation services tend to offer more flexibility with different types of cremation. You can choose a more traditional funeral service with cremation taking the place of burial.
Or you can opt for direct cremation. This doesn’t involve viewings, so you don’t need to pay for embalming or a casket. It doesn’t include a funeral so families can arrange a memorial service after cremation.
One of the benefits of cremation is the service can happen both before and after the cremation. If a family is spread across wide distances, they can hold a service after the cremation when it’s convenient for them.
This option can help keep the cremation cost down. You can learn about cremation here.
Choosing the Final Resting Place
If you choose burial, the options are limited. The deceased is either buried in a grave or placed in a crypt above ground. This can depend on the location of the cemetery. Burial prices may also dictate your choice.
Your only chance for personalization becomes the monument you choose for the grave. Check with the cemetery that the type of marker you want is permitted.
Cremation doesn’t have such restrictions. You can bury the cremains with a grave marker to provide a permanent gravesite. You can have the ashes entombed in a columbarium.
Families might choose to scatter the ashes at a meaningful place. This gives them a connection to their loved ones whenever they visit.
Some families choose to keep the cremains, giving them a monument to their loved ones at home. Or they can even have the cremains turned into memorial jewelry.
Choosing the final resting place can have an impact on mourners. Families might prefer to have a grave or tomb to visit to pay their respects.
Cremation vs Burial: The Verdict
No one wants to think about funerals, but settling the cremation vs burial debate is important. Burial offers a traditional service with a permanent site for mourning.
Yet cremation offers more flexible choices. You can tailor the service to suit the grieving family’s needs.
Keen to stave off this question for a little longer? Check out our Health articles to keep your family happy and healthy.
