This Season
 
  • When a loved one dies, some families opt for cremation instead of a burial. While some people may choose to scatter the ashes, others want to keep the remains of the person in an urn or even a…

  • Death, whether unexpected or anticipated, comes with a series of events and tasks that must be completed to document the person's passing. Specific paperwork must be addressed before the actual…

  • The act of ritually burying or cremating a loved one is an important step in allowing that person to pass from this life into whatever lies beyond. However, modern funeral practices can often be…

  • Cremation is one option for disposing of human remains after death. It offers a cheaper alternative to a casket burial, and family and friends can scatter the remains in special locations. The state…

  • A funeral can be one of the most expensive and stressful purchases a family can make. Choosing a prepaid cremation plan can ease the burden your funeral will present to your loved ones and ensure that…

  • Cremation is the process of reducing human remains to a small amount of non-combustible material, generally a few pounds of bone fragments referred to as "ashes." In many cultures, cremation is…

  • The great majority of people in the U.S. are buried after death, and usually, their remains are buried in cemeteries. But burial isn't the only way to dispose of the final remains of loved ones while…

  • Viewing prior to cremations are optional. Cremation is an alternative to burying a loved one who has passed away. It involves returning the body to basic elements through incineration. The ashes from…

  • The advances in forensic science in the past few decades have been startling. Not only had DNA testing become standard, but forensic scientist can identify a body with the barest essentials: teeth and…

  • Cremation is one of many burial options. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, in 2009 cremation accounted for approximately 37 percent of final dispositions in the United States.…

  • Although cremation can be difficult to discuss, it's important that families weigh every burial option carefully and understand the procedures for each. People choose cremation for a variety of…

  • In Japan, two documents are required before the deceased may be cremated: the first and most important is the death certificate, the second is the permission for cremation. A physician's death record…

  • Many people opt for cremation when they die, for a variety of reasons. It's less expensive than a traditional funeral and casket, not to mention the cost of a cemetery plot. Environmentalists like the…

  • After a cremation, you might be left wondering what to do with your loved one's ashes. Some people choose to place the ashes in a decorative urn and leave it on display to remember the loved one who…

  • The death of a loved one can be an emotional time for all involved, but loved ones may still need to make serious decisions about the deceased's funeral arrangements. Cremation is one choice that…

  • Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy. The cremation ceremony is a form of last rites for persons as an alternative to burying the body. In many countries this is a very common practice.…

  • Arranging a cremation service means handling sorrowful emotions and disturbing reality. Planners arrange for every detail involving a service and cremation, including paperwork, witnesses and costs.…

  • Cremation is the traditional process of destroying bodily remains using high heat. It is often thought of as a more practical way of disposing of a body, as burial sites are becoming less and less…

  • Cremation is the process of reducing the human body to bone fragments by the application of intense heat. Loved ones can still have memorial or funeral services before or after cremation to honor and…

  • Choosing cremation instead of a burial is cost-effective and doesn't take up land. However, cremating the body uses a lot of energy and releases carbon dioxide. If you want to choose a more natural…

  • Cremation is the burning of a body until the soft parts are completely destroyed and the skeleton is reduced to ash. It has served as an alternative to burial for thousands of years, is mentioned in…

  • The Catholic Church began allowing cremation in 1963, but still prefers that the cremation occurs after the funeral Mass. A funeral Mass differs from a memorial Mass; a funeral Mass occurs in the…

  • Many myths surround the practice of scattering cremated ashes. It doesn't help that the laws are often complicated, confusing or nonexistent. Knowing what the laws are or who to ask about them can…

  • What happens to the body after we have gone is a subject many people find unpalatable but, in times when burial plots are scarce and expensive, more people are opting for cremation. The alternatives…

  • In Hinduism, death is not final, but a resting period in which the atman, or soul, recuperates, regroups, and prepares for its return to this world. This stage, reincarnation, allows the jiva (limited…

  • A cremation, or memorial, diamond is a modern day memorial for a deceased loved one, friend or even pet. The cremation diamond process takes the cremated ashes or hair from a person or pet and infuses…

  • Many people choose to hold on to their loved one's cremated remains by placing the ashes in containers such as urns and vases kept around the house. This way, they can see the object and remember the…

  • The Federal Trade Commission has regulations for funerals and burials. The rules protect individuals from unfair burial expenses, such as a cremation service provider imposing the cost of embalming…

  • After cremation, the cremated remains (also called ashes or cremains) are stored in a simple wooden box, often sealed inside a plastic bag. If you're transferring the cremated remains to an urn, you…

  • According to the National Funeral Directors Association, in 2009 about 37 percent of Americans were cremated. This is a steep rise from the 25 percent of Americans cremated in 1999. Burial costs have…

  • Cremation ashes can be kept, buried or scattered. Filling an urn with the ashes and placing it in a living space or garden is a common way of keeping cremation remains. There are no standards…

  • Cremation is a common request people make for when their lives come to an end. However, you might get the heebie-jeebies thinking about your body being burnt to ash in an oven. If cremation is not the…

  • Cremation ceremonies are inherently emotional because they are often themed with events and memories that tie to a loved one's life. A cremation ceremony effectively places the remains of the deceased…

  • When a loved one passes away, there are numerous ways to honor the body. People choose cremation for many reasons, including personal, spiritual and environmental beliefs. If you are faced with making…

  • If you are thinking about how you want your funeral service to be performed, there are a variety of questions you must answer before you have a plan of your passing to give to your loved ones. One of…

  • Bones do burn. At approximately 1292 degrees Fahrenheit, calcium phosphates begin to fuse together and change in color and shape. While not entirely reduced to ash, modern cremation does an excellent…

  • The art of embalming is the process in which a person's body is preserved and restored after death. This prevents natural decomposition from destroying the body so quickly, allowing a family ample…

  • Death does not have to be the end of the road for your body. By donating your body to science, it can go on to have a multitude of adventures while helping to advance the medical field. Cadavers have…

  • Cremation is a process that uses extreme heat to reduce a dead body to ashes and bone fragments. People choose cremation for a variety of reasons including concern for the environment, dislike of the…

  • For many individuals or families, cremation is the best choice for theirs or loved ones' remains. Less expensive than traditional burial, families may opt to keep their loved ones' ashes at home or…

  • If you need to move the cremated remains of a friend, family member or pet but cannot travel, you can ship the cremated remains using the United States Postal Service. You can also ship cremated…

  • The death of a loved one or special pet can be difficult to handle. One way to commemorate and honor your loss is to create a special keepsake called cremation jewelry. A part of your loved one will…

  • When a loved one has passed on, you may be looking for a way to carry them with you forever. This is where creating a diamond from their cremation ashes can come in. Diamonds are beautiful stones, and…

  • Cremation is becoming the preferred choice of more people. Less expensive than burials, cremations allow family members more freedom when it comes to having a memorial service. Depending on what you…

  • Cremation, which has been around for thousands of years, is one of a few options available for the final disposition of a dead body. By exposing a body to high temperatures, it is eventually burned…

  • Cremation, versus a traditional funeral with burial, is on the rise because of a number of factors. The cost to cremate someone is about one-third that of a traditional funeral. The other reason for…

  • The decision of whether to cremate or bury is a personal decision made by the individual or by a family. Decide between cremation with a funeral service or direct cremation with help from a licensed…

  • The elements of arranging a cremation are similar to arranging a funeral, and both options include talking to a funeral director. Make arrangements for a cremation with help from a licensed funeral…

  • In preparation for cremation, one of the most important non-combustible personal items to remove from the body is the pacemaker. Pacemakers contain mercury that would be released into the atmosphere,…

  • The cost of cremation can be much less than a traditional burial. Two of the main reasons for the reduction in cost are a fancy casket is not required nor is a burial plot necessary. The cost of…

  • Cremation is normally conducted at a funeral home, chapel or crematory. The body is cremated in a retort, also known as a cremation chamber. Most crematories allow families to view the placement of…

  • In all the millennium of human history, the bodies of the deceased have been burnt to ash almost as frequently as they have been buried in the earth. Cremation has often carried significant religious…

  • Unique containers for cremated remains are in demand. Family members and friends looking for a special way to preserve and memorialize these remains turn to the art world, jewelers and even rocket…

  • Cremation is one of several funerary options that are common in modern times. Within the category of cremation itself, however, there are further options. In fact, the cremation process can offer just…

  • Considered morbid by some and the ultimate form of memorializing a deceased loved one by others, using cremation ashes in a memorial tattoo has been done, but may not necessarily be a wise decision.…

  • When a loved one passes and his wishes are to be cremated, shipping those cremation remains, or cremains, to another location doesn't have to be a hassle. Follow these guidelines to make certain that…

  • Many people prefer cremation internment over in-ground burial. Arrange either process through a funeral home. Each cremation takes about three hours to complete. After the process, all that is left…

  • When you have a pet he becomes a member of your family. When he passes away it is a tough time for everyone and you want him to be treated with love and dignity. Many people elect cremation for their…

  • Cremation has become a popular form of burial as the ashes can be kept or released for a sentimental closure. This is also less expensive than a traditional burial. However, there are religious…

  • Understanding cremation can be confusing for a child. However, it may be a more peaceful way for them to say goodbye than a burial is. Some children may panic at the thought of burying their loved…

  • With the high cost of funerals today, more people are choosing to be cremated. While putting a vase of Aunt Susie's ashes on the mantle might be a great conversation piece, most people don't want an…

  • Cremation allows for more options and can be less expensive than a burial, but if the family wants a viewing and a traditional funeral, burial may be the wisest choice.

  • A funeral home usually makes all the necessary phone calls, contacts the appropriate agencies and obtains permits for cremations. It is important to know, however, that you are not legally obligated…