Burial vs. Cremation

Cremation

As more people are choosing cremation, funeral service professionals are striving to give consumers a true sense of what their many options are for a funeral service. Often funeral directors find that people have a preconception that they have fewer choices for a ceremony when selecting cremation for themselves or a loved one. Therefore, they request direct cremation and deny the surviving friends and family an opportunity to honor them with a memorial service. In actuality, cremation is only part of the commemorative experience. In fact, cremation can actually increase your options when planning a funeral. The following information is meant to help you build an understanding of what cremation is, allowing you to make an informed decision when arranging a funeral for yourself or a loved one.

Funeral Service

Funerals fill an important role for those mourning the loss of a loved one. By providing surviving family members and friends a caring, supportive environment in which to share thoughts and feelings about the death, funerals are the first step in the healing process.

The ritual of attending a funeral service provides many benefits including:

  1. Providing a social support system for the bereaved.

  2. Helping the bereaved understand death is final and that death is part of life.

  3. Integrating the bereaved back into the community.

  4. Easing the transition to a new life after the death of a loved one.

  5. Providing a safe haven for embracing and expressing pain.

  6. Reaffirming one's relationship with the person who died.

  7. Providing a time to say good-bye.

It is possible to have a full funeral service even for those choosing cremation. The importance of the ritual is in providing a social gathering to help the bereaved begin the healing process.