One of the most common reasons to choose cremation over burial is because of the reputed environmental benefit. In an age when all of us are looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment, cremation provides a quick and easy solution. Cheaper than a traditional funeral and increasingly more accepted in traditional funeral planning circles, cremation is fast becoming the preferred choice for today’s funeral consumers.
Posts Tagged ‘burial’
The Environmental Impact of Cremation
Thursday, April 11th, 2013Buying or Selling a Pre-Owned Burial Plot
Wednesday, March 27th, 2013
If you’re getting ready to pre-plan a funeral and are looking to save some money on burial costs, it might be a good idea to look into pre-owned cemetery plots. Although the name is a bit macabre (bringing to mind burial plots that have already seen bodies come and go), the concept of a pre-owned plot is actually quite normal.
Funeral Planning and Decision Fatigue
Friday, February 15th, 2013
It’s no secret that planning a funeral is a mentally exhausting task. Most people charged with the task of burying a loved one are already reeling from an overflow of emotion, and when you add the need to make dozens of financial and burial decisions, the results can tear a person down.
According to recent studies about the process of making decisions, there might be some science behind the difficulties we face when planning a funeral (above and beyond mere loss). Decision fatigue, or the emotional toll that an abundance of decision making has on the human brain, can impact the way you think about your choices. And in many cases, the results will be vastly different than if you’d made that decision a few hours earlier (or later).
Green Funeral Planning: Carbon Neutral Cremation
Monday, February 11th, 2013
Many people choose cremation or green burial as a way to make less of a negative impact on the environment when they die. These kinds of options, which cost less than traditional funeral methods, almost always rely on minimum preservation (as in, no embalming) and use materials for caskets and urns that don’t strain our world’s natural resources.
Traditional Burial Alternative: Turn Your Ashes into a Vinyl Record?
Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013
For some people, traditional funeral planning just isn’t enough. The rituals surrounding burial and cremation have been around for so many hundreds of years that it’s almost impossible to make your funeral stand out from the crowd as something unique and special. That’s why some companies take the process of body disposal to a new level—even so far as turning you into a vinyl record.
New York Pet Cemetery is the Oldest in the World
Thursday, January 17th, 2013
Pet cemeteries are an important part of the grieving process for many individuals who have lost a beloved pet. While most pet funeral plans include a backyard service or a call to the local animal shelter to handle the remains, it’s becoming increasingly more common for individuals to opt for a formal service (ranging from pet cremation to traditional burial).
This practice is nothing new in the United States—in fact, the oldest pet cemetery in the world can be found in Hartsdale, New York. The Hartsdale Pet Cemetery facility, established in 1896, is currently the final resting place for tens of thousands of animals, and continues to provide a burial place for pets even today.
What to Expect from a Traditional Catholic Funeral
Wednesday, December 5th, 2012
Catholic funerals are some of the most ornate in terms of tradition, regulation, and procedure. Although the church has loosened some of its rules in recent years (and most will allow burial alternatives like cremation), you can still expect there to be a standard format that you and your family will be expected to follow. In exchange for adhering to these rules, you get the comfort of time-honored traditions and funeral services run through the church itself.
Catholic Funeral Rites
Catholic funeral rites are designed to celebrate life, death, and the belief in resurrection. To this end, a funeral Mass is performed as a way to highlight both the loss of your loved one and the resurrection of Christ.
Children attending Pet Funerals
Saturday, November 3rd, 2012
When a beloved pet dies, it’s common for people to go through traditional funeral planning steps. Pet caskets, pet cemeteries and cremation services, and other memorial options all exist to help you cope with the loss of your animal companion, and there is a growing trend in the funeral industry to put people in contact with the necessary resources to help with this kind of loss.
How to Plan a Post Funeral Gathering
Friday, September 28th, 2012
Whether your funeral planning efforts resulted in a traditional ceremony and burial, or if you opted for a private cremation scattering, it’s a common practice to invite everyone in attendance to a post-funeral gathering. Also commonly known as the funeral reception, this event provides an opportunity for friends and family members to mourn the deceased (and to celebrate the life he or she had) in a setting that is less formal than a memorial service.
The responsibility for planning the funeral reception typically falls to the immediate family—more specifically, to the same individual who handles the bulk of the funeral plans. If this is too much of a responsibility, however, it might be a good idea to ask for help. Many people come forward to offer their assistance in the aftermath of a loss, and this is a good way to allow them to do their part.
Gravesite Caretaker Services
Monday, September 24th, 2012
One of the most overwhelming and often overlooked aspects of funeral planning is taking care of the gravesite long after the deceased has passed on. Although most cemeteries offer some form of on-site caretaking (such as mowing and weeding, clearing the headstones, and removing unsightly or faded floral displays), this is a service that doesn’t always come standard. And in many cases, their level of care might not meet your expectations.
If you live nearby the cemetery, or if visiting the gravesite is part of your natural healing process, taking care of the headstone might not be that difficult. However, distance, infirmity, time constraints, and even your own emotional hurdles often get in the way—which is when it might be time to consider a gravesite care provider.
