When a loved one fails to leave behind a will, or you begin planning your own funeral, you’ll have a lot of choices to make. One of the biggest of all is: do you opt for burial or cremation?
Burial has traditionally been the most utilised form of body disposal for centuries, and involves preserving the deceased in a coffin and interring it below ground (or more rarely at sea). Cremation, on the other hand, involves turning the body into ashes following exposure to extremely high levels of heat at a crematorium, a method that’s chosen for more than 80% of funerals in the UK.
Each body disposal method has its own benefits and drawbacks, so here are a few things you should consider before making a decision.
Preference
Some people prefer burials as they like the idea of the physical form of their loved one remaining at a particular site. Once the body is buried, then that will be the final resting place – so if you decide to move away or abroad, this could potentially be a drawback as visiting will become more difficult.
Cremation, meanwhile, offers a huge degree of flexibility for family and friends. Ashes can easily be moved from one venue to another via an urn, or scattered in one or more places that have a special meaning. Sometimes families are unsure what do to with the ashes, however there are many options for what to do with ashes after a cremation.
Price
Price is also worth taking into consideration before you make a decision on how to dispose of a body. Burials are the most expensive option, largely due to the cost of buying a burial plot, while cremations can cost significantly less. Exact prices will vary depending on the choices you make – and there are also significant regional variations.
Direct cremation is the cheapest form of body disposal available. This involves cremating the body at a time convenient for the director or crematorium, without a funeral service. It can save you money, but will not have the same personal touch as an attended burial or cremation. For this reason, many families prefer an attended simple cremation without any fuss or ceremony.
Principles
If the person who died did not leave instructions as to their preferred method of body disposal, but followed a particular religion, it’s worth looking into the ideology of this faith before you choose burial or cremation. Some religions consider one method to be more desirable than another.
Secular values can have an impact on this decision too. For example, if your loved one was concerned about preserving the environment, it’s worth considering the eco-implications of each body disposal method.
Burials do take up important space on land if at a cemetery, but eco-friendly natural burials in particular lead to natural decomposition, unlike cremation which uses energy to burn the body and releases fossil fuels into the air.
Cremation procedures are becoming greener as technology improves. There are new developments in the pipeline such as alkaline hydrolysis, however it is highly likely that burial or cremation will be the primary choice for the foreseeable future.
There’s no right or wrong answer when it comes to deciding between a burial or a cremation. It completely depends on your preferences, budget and principles. In any case, it’s never a decision that should be rushed.
For further guidance and advice, give the team at White Rose Modern Funerals a call on 020 3281 1045. We can help you make the right choice for you or your family member.
