Have you thought about what to do with your body when you die? More Americans are choosing cremation over traditional burials, says a new survey. Americans are also opting for more unique arrangements for their cremated remains, including launching them into space or having them compressed into a diamond. One in 10 Americans who plan to be cremated want to be planted as a tree.
As burial preferences have changed significantly over the years, more Americans are shifting toward more non-traditional plans such as sea burial or plastination, a process that involves removing all fluids from the body and replacing it with a polymer or plastic-like substance. Today many funeral homes serve as "event planners" for memorial services as well as funerals, Nicodemus said, offering a variety of options and doing most of the organizing.
Bring in your dad's favorite music. Tell me who you might think would be a good friend of your dad's that might like to get up and say a few words," Nicodemus said. As more and more baby boomers have attended these memorials, said Nicodemus, their attitudes have changed.
Just have me cremated and have a simple service somewhere. Considering the sheer number of baby boomers, Nicodemus said, those changes in attitude are another major reason for a cultural shift in funeral preferences he believes won't soon change. What might not be so normal -- yet -- are the creative ways those ashes are being honored. They're going to do what they're going to do," Nicodemus said. Memorial art and keepsakes. Doing something memorable and lasting with the cremated ashes of a loved one is a top priority for many people, including baby boomers and their families.
A increasing number of companies are offering plenty of imaginative options from which to choose. Memorial tattoos are a growing trend in which tattoo artists mix some ashes with ink and create lasting memorials on a loved one's skin. If skin isn't your thing, you can also have your ashes mixed with paint and made into a portrait. Jewelry is easy: You can put bits of your ashes into small containers that are worn around the neck.
You can also have your ashes encased in a glass art memorial. The largest group is Christian: The reason? In , after centuries of insisting on full-body burials, the Vatican lifted the ban on cremation. Apparently, it takes time to get used to a new idea. Vatican issues guidelines on cremation, says no to scattering ashes.
Scattering ashes referred to as 'cremated remains' by the church is not permitted under Catholic rules. Gerrity said, leaving the "cremated remains on the mantel at home, that's not a proper burial. Along with cost, geography and religion, Jorgenson said, another important element is tradition. The big three options. Under the law in most states, he said, there are only three things you can do with your body: burial, cremation and medical donation.
Floating cemeteries and space burials: Asia's futuristic take on death. For example, " space burials ," touted by one company, require cremation first, and a Georgia-based company that creates an artificial reef out of your remains also relies on cremated remains.
Some states have begun to allow alkaline hydrolosis or "resomation," a kind of wet cremation process if you will, with a similar result where all you get back is the bone, Jorgenson said. He hopes Washington laws change in time so resomation can be his own choice. Bones made brittle are processed, he added, so "it's not like you have a cartoon skeleton at the end. The only downside is that resomation is legal in only 10 states. Still, it represents a shift in thinking about death and many believe we have the baby boomers to thank for that.
The importance of planning. Applewhite believes people want to be more in touch, at the deepest level, with processes "that were once not industrialized and not hidden out of sight.
As they revise their views of old age, baby boomers will also take a more clear-sighted look at disposition.
We do have a sense of being able to shape the culture. That is arrogant, but it also is legitimate," she said. Kemp, who counts himself among baby boomers, said, "A growing number of people are coming in and saying, 'This is what I want, and I don't want anyone to change it. As he sees it, families have become less nuclear, and parents would rather set things up so their kids, who may live at a distance, won't have the burden.
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