Cremation Blog

Cremation has increased in popularity every year since 1980. With the passage of a new California law, cremating your loved one has become a little bit easier (and more unique). On October 15, 2017, Governor Jerry Brown signed a new law into place that would allow for water cremations. This new process, often referred to as alkaline hydrolysis, puts a spin on how traditional cremation procedures are performed. Water cremation is said to be better for the environment as it simulates a more natural tissue and bone decay process than traditional flame-based methods.

As cremation has grown in popularity so too have a host of cremation-related trends. As we embark on 2018, 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.

Reasons Behind Body Ink

Tattooing the body began as a way to commemorate, identify, and signify major life events such as tribal identity, battle victories, anniversaries, and punishments. Some people believed tattoos served as an offering to the gods or a way to connect with the spirit world. Even today, many people who get a tattoo take care in creating the perfect design to represent an event, person, or belief.

We’ve improved the methods we use to tattoo, but we’ve retained the same mystical connection to the body inking ritual, inspired by the glimpses of ancient craftsmanship. Most of the time, people have a story behind why they got a tattoo and also behind the design. One of the common reasons people get inked is to honor a loved one who’s passed on.

One of the most unique ways to get inked is to get a tattoo that not only memorializes someone, but that also contains their cremains. Some people believe such a piece creates an everlasting bond. Let’s look at how it’s done.

Cremains Tattooing Process

This process requires an experienced tattoo artist who understands how to use cremains in a tattoo. The tattoo artist must use the most powdery form of cremains possible. Therefore, large bits of the cremains will be sifted away until all the cremains become fine and powdery.

Next, the powdery ashes must be baked for further sterilization. After that, the tattoo artist mixes a minuscule amount of the cremains into the ink. And from there, the process follows the normal guidelines. As long as you deal with professionals, everything should go smoothly. The same can be said of making cremation arrangements.

Cremation: The First Step 

Using ashes in the form of cremains is a way that the tattoo process pays tribute to historical methods as well as the dead. The process is safe and not that difficult. Besides a few additional details, it’s not that much

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.

Cremation is one of the fastest growing alternative burial methods in the country. Yet, most people are not aware of the legal rules that must be followed when cremating a loved one. In this article, we’ll discuss some frequently asked questions to guide you through the process.

Diamonds may be seen as a hot commodity these days for very different reasons than once before thought. The precious gem is being manufactured from no other than – human remains! Algordanza, a Swiss company, is revolutionizing the cremation industry and offering families the option to turn their loved one’s cremated remains into beautiful diamonds. Their process involves taking the remains, applying extremely high heat and pressure, mimicking similar conditions elemental carbon undergoes deep within the Earth to form diamonds.

The Vatican recently announced new cremation guidelines for Catholics. According to the newly released cremation requirements guidelines, Catholics may be cremated, but should not have their ashes kept in urns in loved ones’ homes or scattered over large bodies of water.

At the Philadelphia Cremation Society, we see the friends and family of those who are recently deceased at their most vulnerable. The grief of the loss, paired with the need to plan a memorial befitting the live that was lived, can be difficult and painful to navigate. Too many people incorrectly correlate the amount that they will spend on the memorial, cremation, and service for their loved one as an expression of the love they have for them. Too many remark, as they spend more than perhaps they are able, that it is the best last thing they will be able to do for the one they love. This is just a fact of grief.

To be clear, there is no amount of money that will ever equal the love, fondness, and admiration you hold for your loved one. They knew this in life. This is why the Philadelphia Cremation Society places more importance on crafting the memorial, cremation, and service that speaks to the life and personality of your loved one rather than presenting perhaps unnecessary and expensive add-on items and services that won’t accurately represent who your loved one was.