There has been a rising tide in the acceptance of the practice of cremation in Pennsylvania and across North America over the past several decades. In fact, the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) has long touted the fact that cremations in North America will exceed 55 percent of all final dispositions by the year 2025. There are many reasons why the acceptance of cremation has been on the rise, including an ever decreasing amount of land available for traditional burial.

In an interesting article out of South Korea, it appears the small nation is encountering many of the same factors we are experiencing here in North America that are hastening the acceptance of the once taboo practice of cremating a loved one.

In addition to a limited amount of land available for ground burials, the culture of South Korea has been rapidly changing from agrarian to urban, meaning prior practices of returning to the final resting place of loved ones on the anniversary of their death is less and less possible. The time for travel from the city to one’s home village has become untenable in modern day South Korea. It is estimated that one in six of the 14 million graves in South Korea are unable to be taken care of by family members. 

More Philadelphians are choosing cremation over burial due to the lower cost, convenience, and environmental benefits cremation provides. In fact, the Cremation Association of North America listed Pennsylvania as one of the Top 10 States for Cremation Growth. While the funeral industry has been plagued in the past by ambiguous costs and price gouging, the new wave of affordable cremation is lowering Philadelphia cremation costs and making services more transparent.

Cremation has steadily gained against burial in the last decade and continues to increase in popularity around the country – a fact the Huffington Post has recently recognized. The news site posted a cremation infographic that perfectly illustrates why cremation tops burial in a number of states.

Cremation is making a big impact everywhere, including Pennsylvania. The state had a 37.7 percent cremation rate in 2011, and that rate is expected to rise to 45.6 percent in 2016, according to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). In Nevada, Florida, and other states, the rate is as high as 70 percent and continues to climb.

There is no other time in our lives when we encounter such physical and emotional stress than when a loved one has recently passed. The gravity of the grieving process is compounded by the immediacy of obligation to honor their final wishes.

Cremation in Philadelphia has long been gaining acceptance for final needs. In fact, according to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA), by 2025 over 55 percent of individuals will choose cremation for their end-of-life planning. However, selecting cremation is the beginning of the decision making process.

Some people choose a funeral with a traditional burial while others select cremation for their end-of-life service. Each of these services offer benefits, but a growing number of people are choosing cremation due to increased affordability, convenience, and environmental concerns.

Cremation vs. Funeral Cost

Arguably, the biggest advantage of cremation is that it is a low cost alternative to burial. Burial costs today average about $8,000, and the price may be higher than that in some places.

In contrast, cremation costs one-quarter of the cost of burial and is as low as several hundred dollars in some regions. Because cremation is a simple service that doesn’t require a funeral, burial plot, headstone, and other burial-related expenses, cremation costs remain relatively low.

As cremation becomes a more common choice, families are looking for new and creative ways to memorialize loved ones and dispose of remains. One growing trend in end-of-life memorialization is cremation jewelry. As more people offer this unique take on disposing of cremated remains, families have a wider variety of options for creating cremation jewelry.

Cremains Set in Clear Jewelry

One new entry into this field is Close By Me Jewelry, a company that mixes a small amount of cremains with a clear substance and then molds it into keepsakes. This offering is different because you never know what color the jewelry will be before it’s made. Gina Murphy, who created the patent-pending process, says: “The color ranges from a light beige to black. A recent one was burgundy.” The mixture is set into sterling silver to create rings, pendants, earrings, cufflinks, or charms.

Every year about 2.5 million people die. Over the course of the past decade, an increasing number of these individuals have opted for cremation — about 42 percent in 2011, according to the association of funeral directors, double the number from 15 years ago.

Why Cremation?

These figures beg the simple question: What’s caused this sudden increase? Even before the recent jump, cremation rates have been rising in the United States for at least 30 years — up from 15% in 1985, according to the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). What’s behind the increasing popularity of cremation? It all boils down to three things: religion, family, and cost.