It’s no secret that cremation is gaining in popularity and continues to outpace traditional burials. According to the National Funeral Director’s Association, the percentage of people choosing cremation is expected to surpass 70% by the year 2040, while conventional burials will decrease to around 16%. But why the shift and will conventional burials become a thing of the past? In this article, we’ll take a closer look at why cremation is becoming more widespread and why traditional burials will always be appealing to some.

Why do people choose cremation?

Lower Cost

Hands down the #1 reason people choose cremation is affordability. The average cost of a basic cremation minus any frills such as visiting hours or memorial service is about $2,500, and direct cremation can be as low as $800. Cremation does not require a grave or headstone, and cremation urns are typically cheaper than caskets and don’t require pallbearers. By comparison, the median cost of a burial with a coffin and full funeral home services is about $7,500.

It’s More Personal

With more people breaking from tradition and decoupling religion from death, families and friends are choosing to celebrate death in more unique and personal ways. End of life celebrations are now popping up, taking on many different forms; dinner at a favorite restaurant, a hike on a beloved trail, or a paddle out to a local surf spot. And unlike burials, cremation provides the flexibility to scatter ashes at sea, in your backyard, sprinkled over a reef, planted as a memorial tree, or even shot off in fireworks. Cremation jewelry and tattoos are also gaining popularity as a way to permanently memorialize a loved one.

Newer Ways

A new alternative to standard cremation is now emerging. Twenty states now permit a process called Alkaline Hydrolysis, sometimes called “flameless” cremation, which uses a mixture of pressurized water and chemicals to dissolve the body, making cremation an attractive option to those who previously felt standard cremation by heat or flame sounded ominous.

Claustrophobia

Some people don’t like the idea of being put into a box and the body decaying over time or potentially being dug up at some point.

Environmental Concerns

While cremation does require a significant amount of energy and releases carbon emissions, generally it is considered the “greener” and eco-friendlier option.

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

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.