For at least a thousand years, burial caskets were considered Europe's most traditional and acceptable option to lay a loved one to rest. Cremation and use of urns were seen as Pagan by the Christian Church for a long time. As time passed and viewpoints changed, cremation and burial urns became an accepted practice, and today, in the modern world, it is now considered as much of a traditional choice in burial options as a casket.
But why do so many people choose cremations and urns? Why choose an urn specifically?
Why Do People Choose Cremation and an Urn?
For many, choosing to be cremated and choosing an urn before they pass is a profoundly personal choice based on several factors. A few of them may be:
Cost
One of the most common reasons many people choose to be cremated and laid to rest within an urn is its affordability. On average, a basic cremation minus any frills, such as visiting hours or memorial service, costs roughly $2,000 to $2,500, and direct cremation can be as low as $800. Cremation and urns do not require a grave or a headstone; on average, cremation urns cost less than a casket and do not need pallbearers. The average cost of a burial with a coffin and full funeral home services is roughly $7,500, or more.
Simplicity During a Difficult Time
Handling everything that comes at you or your family when a loved one passes during the grieving period is, quite frankly, a lot. For a small example of a few of the things that are involved with planning a burial for a loved one might be:
- Contacting the deceased legal representative
- Arranging for transport
- Arranging for, if needed, an open or closed casket viewing
- Carrying out any pre-arranged funeral plans
- Deciding on funeral type, service, and burial
- Confirming cemetery arrangements, including cemetery plot, headstone regulations, and purchasing a headstone
- Deciding on memorial service details such as when and where it will be held, what, if any, religious rites to be observed, music, who writes and delivers a Eulogy
- Arranging and writing an obituary
- Settling the estate and other financial matters
Planning a funeral, even when your loved ones leave you with guidance to follow, is extremely emotionally and physically exhausting, and most are already both when dealing with loss.
By choosing an urn and having remains cremated, there are far fewer decisions to make when arranging cremation than burial. Cremation makes the planning process much easier for families who are in mourning.
Making it More Personal
A traditional burial may suit a family with religious traditions. However, cremation allows families to observe non-traditional spiritual practices or will enable families to do a unique and personal service at their own pace and budget.
Families and loved ones of the deceased can plan and hold memorial ceremonies or services wherever they wish, allowing them to celebrate their loved ones in unique ways. For example, families can have a memorial service as an intimate gathering at home and scatter ashes at a loved one's favorite part of their garden or a favorite site (if allowed.)
Time to Plan
When death is unexpected, the suddenness of it makes the ability to manage and cope much more difficult. Grief reactions to sudden death include shock, disbelief, anger, guilt, and despair. The world as you once knew it is suddenly shattered, and death makes little sense as family and friends try to adjust to their new life without their loved ones and with little time to prepare.
Choosing a cremation and urn can give those reeling with these emotions the much-needed time to process, plan, and prepare a memorial service that is right for them and their loved ones.
Keeping Them Close
While a gravesite might be feasible for many families, for some, cemeteries may be too far away to visit, reflect, and grieve for their loved ones. An urn allows a family to keep their loved ones close and can make for a poignant and much-needed comforting thought or presence in their lives.
In addition to the comfort, it may bring them, gravesites and gravestones need to be kept clean and maintained, and cemetery monuments can last hundreds of years—long after many who knew or cared about the deceased are long gone. Cremation provides the opportunity to have more than one memorial site or keep a loved one's ashes near them and within an urn that can be transported wherever they go.
Last, cremated remains can be placed inside keepsakes such as customized granite urns, mourning jewelry, picture frames, garden decorations, clocks, and other smaller keepsakes—which can be worn, placed on mantels, bookshelves, walls, or seen whenever in a garden. Many find great comfort in having a close family member keepsake as their loved one will always remain close by.
At Legacy Urns, if you should be currently experiencing the pain of a lost loved one and wondering why they chose an urn or perhaps considering one—we offer our deepest sympathies along with our caring and empathetic staff being available to assist you with any questions you may have about a granite urn for your loved one.
Please do not hesitate to contact us; we are here to help however we can.