The last decade has witnessed a significant shift in funerals and
cremation services in Bethlehem, PA, as more and more Americans are choosing cremation over burial. In 1970, only 4% of bodies were cremated in America, but the number would rise to 70% by 2020.
Despite the growing popularity of cremation, not many people know about cremation beyond burning the deceased’s body and receiving the ashes in a jar.
But after reading this article, you will learn everything you need to know about how cremation works.
You can Preplan your Cremation
Just like burial, you can
plan your cremation
ahead of time. Often, family members are divided over how to lay their loved one to rest. It may add additional stress to their grief. They also have to think about the expense.
So, you can pre-plan your final wishes and even pre-pay for various cremation services to save your loved ones from unnecessary monetary trouble. When the day will come, you’ll have peace of mind, knowing your body and final wishes will be honored.
You have Different Options to Cremate
You are probably familiar with just one, yet most common, form of cremation where a deceased’s body is burnt to ashes. However, recent years have witnessed the increase in popularity of many other ways to cremate bodies, including Liquid cremation and Green cremation.
Liquid Cremation involves includes the use of water at a specific temp and pressure to gradually decompose the body. Here too, the body is decomposed into ashes as does in a traditional cremation.
Green Cremation also referred to as bio-cremation, uses a solution of water and potassium hydroxide to decompose the body in an environmentally-friendly manner.
Friends and Family can Visualize the Cremation
A common misconception among people is that cremation doesn’t involve visitation. It can’t be far from reality as the bereaved can embalm and prepare the body for an open-casket visitation and invite the near ones to say one final goodbye.
After a small/big formal ceremony, the body is sent to the cremation site for final services.
You Can Customize Cremation to Suit your Budget
Even though the average cost of arranging a cremation in America is less than a funeral, you can reduce it even more significantly by choosing only the services you need.
There’s much more to cremation than just burning the body and almost all funeral homes offer various cremation packages. Walk through the exact specifications and premises of each package, and choose the one that meets your requirements.
Body Weight Affects Cremation Costs
While there’s no weight limit for cremation but weight plays a significant factor in determining the total costs. Cremating heavy bodies is complicated and funeral homes may charge you extra for the adjustments made to the cremation process.
Generally, you need to pay more for bodies weighing over a certain amount. However, the basic premises remain the same and you’ll get the ashes after
cremation.
Cremation services
in Bethlehem, PA, will never be easy to plan, but these tips may help make the process smoother.