Cremation is growing in popularity in countries around the world, and the U.S. is no exception. Today, roughly 33% of people in the United States choose cremation over a traditional embalming and burial, citing reasons such as saving money, or the fact that it is now an accepted option by many religions.
Regardless of how accepted it has become, cremation myths still abound in our culture. As part of our ongoing efforts to educate and assist our readers, your friends at Miller would like to take this opportunity to dispel some of the most common cremation myths.
6 Common Cremation Myths
- Cremation is eco-friendly. Although there are some environmental benefits to cremation once it has occurred, the actual process itself isn’t eco-friendly in the slightest. The modern cremation process uses large amounts of fossil fuels and generates carbon emissions equivalent, according to some sources, to a 500 mile car trip.
- Cremation limits your funeral options. This cremation myth couldn’t be further from the truth. Not only can you plan a formal funeral service for your loved one, you can also be as creative as you like with the memorial service. Some families even hold a memorial service prior to the cremation, so guests can view the body before it is cremated.
- You must purchase an urn from the funeral home. You may purchase an urn from anywhere you like and bring it with you to the funeral home if you so choose.
- Scattering ashes is illegal. Scattering ashes in and of itself is not illegal, but you will need to ask the land owner’s permission, where applicable, ahead of time.
- Cremation is different for pets and people. The process and equipment used for cremation of both pets and people are essentially the same. Some facilities even work with both pets and humans.
- Cremation uses fire. The modern cremation process does not involve fire, rather the body is exposed to extreme heat inside a specially designed furnace. Bone fragments are all that remain after a cremation, and are then placed into an electric processor to produce the ashes that are returned to the family.
If you have any questions about the cremation process, or any additional cremation myths you would like us to debunk, please don’t hesitate to contact the staff at Miller Funeral Services and Cremation Society of Texas.
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