Several reasons are leading more and more people to opt for cremation. Value, however, may be a point that distances many from this option, as there is still an idea that the cremation service is more expensive than burial. But this depends a lot on the crematorium chosen, the form of payment and the advance in which the service is purchased.
Have you ever heard of preventive cremation? It is still common to avoid thinking about death, despite being the only certainty in life. It seems morbid to talk about this painful subject in advance, but believe me, it is necessary and, without a doubt, it will do well for the family’s finances to prevent it. After all, in addition to being a certainty, death is also unpredictable. Therefore, it is best to prepare yourself financially for this moment.
How does the cremation ceremony work?
Cremation consists of reducing a body to ashes by burning the corpse. This is done in a crematory oven, which was developed for this purpose. Cremation can also be used for semi-intact bodies (when they cannot be exhumed yet) or for remains (instead of using an ossuary).
The practice was already common before Christ, by Greeks and Romans. At that time, the ceremony was a symbol of nobility. On the other hand, the Catholic Church saw cremation as a taboo until the mid-1960s, which certainly influenced the culture not to adhere to the practice. But in the 1960s, the ban was abolished and Catholics are blessed to cremate their families.
This low demand also influenced the value of cremation, an idea that echoes to this day. But with the increase in demand, the price also goes down and the cremation service has become much more affordable.
The ceremony:
As well as before burial, before cremation family members also have the opportunity to say goodbye during the wake. After the stipulated time, the coffin is closed and taken to the crematory oven. Family members are only present during the ceremony and do not attend the cremation.
What to do with the ashes?
Nowadays there are several ideas about what to do with the ashes and the choice will depend on the deceased’s will, if he left some guidance, or on the family’s preference. Check out the main options:
- Sprinkling the ashes in the sea, a common custom we see in movies, which has to do with freedom and can symbolize the person’s love for the sea and nature.
- Keep the ashes in an ossuary, in a cemetery, too.
- Water-soluble urn to be thrown into the sea instead of scattering the ashes. This urn will sink and end up dissolving in an ecological way, without harming the environment.
- An ecological urn is also a good option, it comes with a plant seedling, where you can bury the ashes, which end up being part of the plant that will grow.
- Many people prefer the traditional method of keeping the ashes at home in an ordinary urn.
- There are also those less accessible options, for example, transforming the ashes into objects, such as diamonds and jewelry, and even sending the ashes into space!
Cremation Costs
Cremation has a variable value, it can cost up to $10,000! But, of course, there are much more affordable options. Cremation cost starts from $6,000. But for ready use, when the purchase is made at the time of death, the value starts at $7,150.
What is included?
The value includes the ceremonial in the Room and the urn for the ashes.
Cremation of loot
The cremation of bones, carried out after the exhumation of the buried body, costs $1,500.
But when cremation is done in a semi-intact body, that is, when the exhumation is done in its minimum time and the body is not completely decomposed, the value is $3,500.
What is included?
For the cremation of loot, only the urn is included in the service.
The method of payment also influences the price, choosing between installments, cash, credit card or bank slip makes all the difference.
It is important to remember that cremation has a fixed value, without payment of lifetime fees, such as the tomb.
Where the cremation ceremony takes place?
In the Cemetery, the special room destined for the cremation ceremony.
The family will have a sophisticated, spacious and welcoming infrastructure, with comfortable chairs to watch the personalized ceremony, which includes a video of consecration and ambient music selected by the family, all conducted by an experienced ceremonialist who, like the family, wants to offer a tribute special for the person who is gone.
What’s in the cremation ceremony?
- Personalized ceremony;
- Consecration video;
- Background music selected by the family;
- Cozy atmosphere and well decorated;
- Experienced Ceremonialist.
The idea of an online wake has become even more popular due to the covid-19 pandemic, but the truth is that this service has been around for some time to bring family and friends who are far away for some reason.
Watching the wake over the internet offers the opportunity for people to be present at the tribute and farewell of a loved one, as well as offering support and comfort to other family members and friends during this painful moment.
I want to be cremated; how to authorize?
Cremation is a procedure which establishes some criteria for it to be authorized. We’ll talk about them below, check it out.
If you would like to be cremated, let your family know and provide a Declaration of Will signed and notarized.
If the will is not communicated, the decision must come from family members and be authorized by first-degree relatives (spouses, parents, children, grandparents, siblings and grandchildren).
Although the Declaration of Will is not mandatory, it can ease bureaucracy for family members and ensure that their wishes will be met.
The cremation requires some documents the most, such as the death certificate signed by two doctors. And, in the case of a violent death, legal permission and a police report are needed to ensure that the case has been resolved and they won’t need a new autopsy.
Who can authorize cremation?
Depending on the availability of the deceased’s relatives, a person is assigned to authorize the cremation.
Minor single:
Father or mother, if deceased, siblings over 18 years of age may authorize; if they are minors, deceased or non-existent, the authorization is in charge of the grandparents
Single:
Father or mother, if deceased, children over 18 years of age, if minors, deceased or non-existent, siblings, if minors, deceased or non-existent, grandparents, if deceased, nephews.
Married:
Wife, if deceased, children over 18 years of age, if minors, deceased or non-existent, parents, if deceased, siblings, if minors, deceased or non-existent, grandparents, if deceased, nephews.
Widower:
Children over 18, if minors, deceased or non-existent, parents, if deceased, grandparents, if deceased, siblings, if minors, deceased or non-existent, nephews.
Divorced:
Children over 18, if minors, deceased or non-existent, parents, if deceased, siblings, if minors, deceased or non-existent, grandparents, if deceased, nephews.
The best trivia about cremation
Countries with a high cremation rate
Japan is the country with the most cremation supporters, around 99.9% of the deceased have their bodies cremated and not buried. That’s means almost the entire population.
In the United States, the average cremation is 37%. In California, specifically, this average can reach 80%. Places like England, Hong Kong, India and Canada also have significant numbers of cremations.
Little space is the main reason
Countries with little extension of land end up having cremation as the only alternative, as is the case of England, Hong Kong and Japan – the latter, also being influenced by religion, .
Cremation and religion
As we mentioned, the Catholic Church has already banned cremation for its faithful and changed its position, but the vision is not unanimous. Islam and Judaism are still against cremation, as they believe that the body must be returned to the earth.
On the other hand, Buddhism and Hinduism see cremation as an obligation, as they believe that in this way the soul is purified and freed from the body.
Spiritism requires that you wait between two and three days to perform the cremation so that the spirit disassociates itself from the physical body and disincarnates.
Cremation: sustainable and environment-friendly practice
On the topic of sustainability, the vertical cemetery and cremation have something in common: they do not contaminate groundwater.
Environmental conservation is becoming more and more urgent and we must all make smart choices to cooperate with this practice, as it is an individual and collective responsibility.
Besides, have you ever stopped to think about the space that burial occupies? Vertical cemetery also helps in this regard, but cremation is even more efficient. As we have seen, countries with little extension have a preference for cremation.
