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Cremation Versus Burial - How to Choose Which Is Best?

Author: Jonathan Jonas
by Jonathan Jonas
Posted: May 07, 2021

The two main options that you have for the disposition of your loved one after passing away are burial or cremation. However, it is normal to get confused when deciding which is the right choice to make? The answer to this question depends on your religious beliefs, cultural aspects, priorities, the will of the deceased, family wishes, and other financial factors such as the cost of headstones as well.

Choosing between cremation and burial is a difficult and deeply personal decision for a lot of people. Although cremation has become a popular choice over the past few years, however, burial is still carried out by a vast majority of people from all beliefs and cultures. That being said, there are several factors that must be weighed when making a final decision.

This article contains brief information about the differences between cremation and burial, some options regarding the process, and some facts to consider when deciding on your choice of laying your loved one to rest.

Burial: Full-body burial in the ground, usually inside a coffin or casket.

Cremation: The body is incinerated into cremated remains.

Major Differences

When a human body is cremated using industrial-strength incineration, the remains are ashes. However, the body remains intact in case of a proper burial. When burying your loved one, you can either enter the body directly into the ground or entomb it in a mausoleum. The cremated remains, in comparison, can be kept by your family, buried in the ground, scattered in a river or air, or entombed in a columbarium. Both cremation and burial can be performed immediately after death, before a memorial service, or following a traditional funeral.

BurialOptions

You can bury your loved one’s body in a cemetery ground or on your private property. There are a few legal restrictions for private property burial that varies by state but once you get the permission, you can go ahead with the burial process. Most people still select cemetery burials or designated burial grounds.

Apart from this, you can also have the option to place the body in a separate building structure, called mausoleums, with vaults above the ground that encase the coffins. A lawn crypt provides the same facility but for one to two coffins as compared to mausoleums that can be used by your entire family.

Advantages
  • It is a more socially acceptable option practiced by people from a wide range of beliefs.

  • It is eco-friendly and with multiple sustainable options for coffins and headstones.

  • You have a low-cost option where you can choose a headstone, coffin, or memorial model that fits your budget.

  • Due to the option of embalming a body for preservation, it is a widely selected choice by many.

  • It provides a burial place your family can pay respects to their loved ones.

  • Visitation times are provided where you can say goodbyes before burials.

  • A graveside funeral provides you and your family comfort and closure after the death of a loved one.

Cremation

Options

Cremation provides you with a variety of pre and post-memorial services options, such as dividing up the cremated remains among family members, traveling with them, scattering the remains on land or at sea, keeping a small portion, ground burial, keeping some of the ashes in a locket near your heart, being kept together as a couple, being "planted" as a tree, etc. You can select a cremation urn at a later date or have one custom-made whichever is convenient.

You can select direct cremation of the deceased body and bypass any services or you can also perform memorial and funeral services and then the body can undergo cremation. You can choose either of the two according to your budget and the wishes of your family.

Advantages

The advantages of cremation include more personalization choices, lower cost, more disposition options, the ability to divide, transport and scatter, or keep the remains at home. Many premium cremation urns are available at the same price as a low-tier casket. It gives you the chance to schedule a memorial, burial, or scattering service at a later date as well, as convenient for you and your family.

You can also travel with the cremated remains in an urn meaning you can hold a memorial service or a small gathering to honor your loved one anywhere in the world. In addition to this, you can keep your loved one’s ashes with you even after moving houses, and you can keep the cremated remains in a piece of memorial cremation jewelry at all times.

It also gives you the choice to mix or commingle the remains of a couple, divide them among family members or you can take the time you need to decide what to do with the remains.

Burial vs Cremation: Summary

Cremation and burial are two different methods for disposing the body and you can choose either of these according to your family’s wishes and budget. Both options have their advantages and provide you with multiple options. To summarise the comparison of the two types: Cremation has the lowest average costs, the flexibility of timing and location, and personalization of service options as compared to full-body burials.

However, burials are more traditional, more socially and culturally acceptable, give you an opportunity to say goodbye properly, and are practiced in many religions. It also gives you a chance to memorialize the life of your loved one by building a headstone or memorial benches. You can visit the deceased whenever you want and it provides comfort to your family as well.

But if you do not have enough time for funeral arrangements and gathering all the family members in one place to pay final respect, you can choose to cremate the body. It allows you to divide the ashes between relatives and bury them in any location according to the wishes of the deceased.

About Summit MemorialsAt Summit Memorials, we understand the need to demonstrate the importance of your loved ones and convey a sense of remembrance through unique personal memorials. Selecting the right memorialization method is the first step, so it is only wise that you take help from experts in this field.

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Author: Jonathan Jonas

Jonathan Jonas

Member since: Jan 25, 2021
Published articles: 84

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