by Debbie Ross

Created on: November 02, 2009   Last Updated: December 09, 2009

Cremation, an alternative to burial in the earth, has been in existence for thousands of years. Its actual definition is the practice of disposing of a human corpse by burning. There are many reasons why you might choose cremation. For example, it might be traditional in your family or in your religious faith. In some religions, people believe that the cremated deceased becomes one with nature much more quickly. Perhaps you've chosen cremation because you are concerned about the environment. Land used for cemeteries is at a premium and putting caskets that won't decompose into that land creates yet another problem for our precious earth. Or, perhaps you've chosen cremation simply because the cost is lower. Whatever the reason, rest assured that cremation is a popular choice for the final disposition of the deceased.

Before the deceased can be cremated however, your funeral director must get authorization to perform the cremation from the next of kin. This takes the form of a document provided by the funeral home and signed by the family. Then, any items you do not want to be cremated with the body, such as jewellery are removed. If the deceased had a pacemaker, it too would be removed, simply to prevent an explosion from happening during the actual cremation.

The body is then placed in a cremation casket. Since a regular casket is not legally necessary for cremation, the cremation casket only has to be strong enough to hold the body. These are usually made of wood or they can be simply a large cardboard box with a plywood bottom. Before the actual cremation, either the funeral director or the crematory operator will include an identification tag in the cremation container to ensure the family receives the correct ashes. The body is then transferred to the crematorium which can be part of the funeral home or an independent facility.

The cremation container containing the deceased is then placed into the cremation chamber. During the process a major portion of the body, such as the organs and soft tissue, are rapidly oxidized due to the intense heat which can reach up to 2000 degrees Fahrenheit. The process of cremation usually takes two hours to complete.

All that remains after the process are bone fragments which are removed from the chamber and examined for metal debris such as surgical pins or titanium joints. The remaining bone fragments are then pulverized into a fine powder called cremains or more commonly called ashes which resemble grains of sand. The ashes are then placed in a plastic bag and returned to the funeral home in a temporary cremation container.

Once back at the funeral home, the ashes are returned to the family. The family then must decide how to handle the disposition of the ashes. The remains can be stored in an urn and kept by the family, perhaps on display. Some individuals request their ashes be scattered over the water. Or, they can be buried in the ground in a regular cemetery plot. As mentioned previously, cremation is becoming an increasingly popular alternative for the final disposition of a loved one.

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