Burial, Entombment or Cremation?
How a body will be cared for after a death is an important decision. Today, most people in America
are buried or entombed (which means the body is "buried" in an aboveground monument such as a mausoleum). People select
burial based on a number of factors including the desire to keep with tradition or, in some cases, for religious or cultural
reasons.
About 25% of today's funerals have cremation as their means of final disposition, but that figure is expected
to rise to nearly 40% by 2010. Peoples' rationale for choosing cremation include convenience, environmental reasons
or a financial basis.
Cremation is an empty option unless it is accompanied by visitation time beforehand, a memorial service,
a committal or scattering ritual or, ideally, all three. Including these elements of ceremony makes cremation a meaningful
option.
