As cremation has grown in popularity so too have a host of cremation-related trends. As we embark on 2024, here are the top cremation trends that can give you a unique way to memorialize your loved one.

Neolithic people developed the art of tattooing. One of the first forms of tattooing was scarification. The process involved ripping the skin with pointy objects then filling the resulting gashes with dirt or ashes. Because of the pain and effort involved in the process, many ancient people believed tattoos energized sacred life forces. Eventually, tattooing transformed into the method we know today.

Some work from the olden days lingers on, revealing the hopes and dreams of a time and people we can only study and imagine. Such revelations continue to inspire modern tattoos.

Cost-cutting with a do-it-yourself cremation method qualifies as beyond bad. It’s terrible because of the work involved. It’s dangerous. And in many places, it’s illegal.

In the Chinese province of Zhejiang, two brothers recently tried to save money by cremating their father’s body. They transported the deceased to a local dump, where they torched the body with gasoline then left it to burn. The Chinese authorities took the brothers into custody for unlawful disposal of a human body.