How to decide whether to cremate or bury
Cremation is the process of burning a dead body at very high temperatures until there are only brittle, calcified bones left, which are then pulverized into “ashes” or cremains.
Some people turn to cremation over burial or entombment because of the convenience, finding it more practical or cheaper to handle ashes instead of a body.
It is a personal decision made by the individual or family members. Moreover, take your deceased loved ones wishes, feelings, and beliefs into consideration. Certain individuals, for example, have a fear of decaying or being buried alive. Whatever the reason, more and more people are choosing cremation.
If you have decided that you want to be cremated after your death, you can place your request in writing and provide copies of instructions to your relatives. Preplanning the cremation is also helpful for your loved ones as it is cost-effective and gives peace of mind.
Religious and cultural beliefs also play an important part in this decision. Most religions accept the process of cremation.
The duration of a cremation process usually depends on certain factors. They are:
- weight or size of the body
- percentage of body fat to lean muscle mass
- the performance of cremation equipment used
- the operating temperature of the cremation chamber
- the type of cremation container or casket in which the body in place
5 steps of the cremation process
The process of cremation consists of five basic steps.
- The deceased is identified, and proper authorization is obtained.
- The body is prepared and placed into a proper container.
- The container with the body is moved to the cremation chamber.
- After cremation, the remaining metal is removed, and the remains are ground.
- The ashes are transferred to either a temporary container or in an urn provided by the family.