Burial or Cremation
The Memorial Event, be it a funeral service, a memorial service, a celebration of life – whatever terminology you may want to use – has some important elements to it.
The first is the care for and the disposition of the body. In Canada the body can be laid to rest in one of two ways, burial or cremation. In the act of burying we memorialize or in other words establish a place of permanent remembrance. Cremation, on the other hand, is not an end in itself. Once it is done it still leaves the question open of “What’s next?” Where will these cremated remains now be placed and memorialized?
One thing that people need to consider is the idea of memorializing or determining the place of permanence. If you choose a burial, the memorialization component is inherently taken care of. There is a place where you can go when you feel the need to visit, to remember and reconnect or to simply get something off your chest. Having a place to go makes it a lot easier for people to deal with loss in their life. Cremation, however, leaves a lot of options open when it comes to memorializing.
One option is to bury the urn at a cemetery. When cremated remains are memorialized in a cemetery they enjoy the same protection and privilege of documented permanent care as with a burial. Most cemeteries in our community have a range of cremation interment options in a cost range accessible to all. Cremation is also not as environmentally friendly as burials because of the burning of fossil fuels and the release of heat to our atmosphere.
But you don’t have to bury the urn after the body is cremated. You can create an in-house memorial. There are different types of containers available, and we have a wide selection for you to choose from. Some look like urns so it’s obvious that it contains cremated remains. Other containers are more like picture frames or jewelry boxes where it’s not as obvious. One thing we recommend is that you let your family know if you choose to keep the cremated remains at home so that they are aware of that fact.
Another popular option with cremation is for people to scatter cremated remains. While it’s something that has been romanticized by Hollywood and pop-culture, there are important things to consider when choosing to scatter. First, you have to really think about where you will be scattering. You need to consider the possibility that the place may no longer be what it is now in 20 years. And the sentiment around that place can change as a result. The other angle to consider is memorialization because you are not allowed to mark the place where you scatter, unless it’s a cemetery. We also have heard of some creative scattering and memorialization options that people have done which you can find out more about in this video.
Some Cremation pros – some cons….Cremation has the big benefit of convenience, especially if the cremated remains need to be transported, possibly to another country, or if a service will be held at a later date and cremation can cost relatively less than some burial services. Unfortunately, cremation is not as environmentally friendly as burials because of the burning of fossil fuels and the release of heat to our atmosphere. Finally and sadly some people understand cremation to be a non-memorial event in itself and as such miss out on many of the wonderful opportunities to connect with family, traditions, life matters, personal significance and the reconnections which can take place in a well-designed Memorial Event. That’s why we’re here for you to ‘show and tell’ of the unique possibilities for you and your family.
