Difficult decisions can be made harder by a lack of quality information on the arguments relating to whether an individual might prefer burial or cremation. Many people choose to either put the decision off until a later date, leaving their family to choose for them, or simply don’t give it the kind of thought that is required for such an important and personal decision. With this in mind, we have decided to put together a blog that will help you to decide on which option is best for you.
Cremation
Cremation tends to be more cost-effective than burial, and the body of a loved one will be reduced to remains in a matter of hours. This is vastly different from the natural, slow cycle of decomposition that comes with burial. Cremation has seen a resurgence in popularity lately since burial takes up important land space that is currently limited due to the rapid rate of industrialisation in our country. A survey from 2013, for example, found that more than half of all cemeteries in the UK could potentially run out of space within the next 20 years. Taking this into account, a cremation presents a more efficient and economically viable option.
Worth considering is that cremation also offers you the freedom and flexibility for the remains of a loved one to be taken to a place other than the actual cemetery or burial grounds. This is a fantastic benefit to cremation for many families because it means that special places associated with that person can then be visited and ashes scattered there.
However, cremation is also not known for being environmentally friendly. One cremation uses up as much energy as a single person will use in their house over the course of one month. Mercury emissions are also a problem; cremation has been shown to be responsible for at least 16% of all the UK mercury emissions, which is simply staggering.
Burial
For some, the flexibility to take the remains wherever they might like is not the preferred option. They would rather have a permanent installation available for mourning and remembering; somewhere they can go with friends and families to reflect on their loved one. Certain religious principles will also forbid cremation and so burial is the only viable option for some people. For example, the concept in Christianity of the resurrection of the body is deeply held by many Christians and makes burial an important act of religious ceremony for many.
It’s important to also remember that some people get uncomfortable thinking about cremation. When considering this alongside the fact that the body of a loved one can often be placed in a beautiful casket, dressed in their finest attire and with special mementos from family alongside them, many people see burial as the better option.
Another benefit that burial offers is the opportunity to lay to rest an entire family or group of people together in one place in a cemetery. For example, if a husband passes away and his family choose to bury him, it’s likely his wife will be buried in the same place so that they can be alongside each other for the rest of time.
At SC & BS Cocks, we understand that arranging a funeral can seem like a big task during such a difficult time. That is why we’re here to help every step of the way. Throughout the process, we’ll talk you through the different options available and offer advice on the choices that will best suit your requirements. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to get in touch or find us at our website.