Urns for Ashes

The decisions a family faces regarding funeral arrangements when they have lost a loved one are some of the most difficult they will ever face. Even those who choose to plan their own arrangements well in advance of any need to use them still find the task daunting. While the choice of a cremation urn may seem to be a small detail in the overwhelming array of decisions involved, this choice could actually be one of the most important. Because urns for ashes are the one physical representation and memorial of the deceased that will remain as a visual reminder of the deceased long after the funeral services have concluded; the choice of cremation urn that appropriately captures the personality and spirit of the loved one is vital.

Urns for ashes are vases or containers that hold the cremated ashes of a deceased person. When choosing a cremation urn, several important factors should be considered. First among them is size. Some prefer small urns that can be displayed in the home on a mantle or bookshelf while others prefer an urn large enough to contain the remains of more than one person. Often, couples find it comforting to know that their ashes will be intertwined in the same urn once each has died. The main rule to remember is that one cubic inch will house one pound of the person. So that if the person weighed 160 pounds before passing, the urn that will best fit their cremated remains will be from 160-180 cubic inches. This becomes less important when you are purchasing keepsakes and jewelry. Keepsake urns can often hold only 10 cubic inches and it is common for a family to scatter the remains.

Keepsake Urns

Another factor in choosing an urn is the material from which it is made. For those who wish to display the urn long-term in an outdoor setting, metals such as bronze and steel or stones like marble and granite urns for ashes are most common. Conversely, lighter, less sturdy materials like wood or glass are often used for urns that will be displayed indoors. Some families wish to use a decorative urn for display during the funeral services but don’t intend to keep it for long-term display afterward choosing instead to scatter the ashes in some meaningful setting. With the use of biodegradable burial urns made from materials like paper, these families are able to consider the environmental issues involved as well as their desire to honor their loved one.

Perhaps the most difficult decision in choosing a cremation urn deals with its design. Because it attempts to capture the essence of the deceased in visual form, the design of the urn is crucial, and today the choices are endless. They range from the dark-colored traditional vase that has been used throughout history to far more contemporary forms, like baby booties for infants, military equipment for veterans, or sporting goods for athletes, all available in every possible color imaginable. Urns for ashes can now be considered pieces of art like any quality sculpture. Not only are custom-made choices available from artisans who will craft unique designs to the family’s specifications, but more affordable, off-the-shelf options are now available. Because of the creativity the funeral industry has experienced in recent years, imaginative models can now be purchased without the need for custom orders.

Naturally, when families make choices about the size, material, and design for the cremation urn, they must consider price. Too often, families shaken by grief are quick to choose a high-priced option assuming that the more it costs, the better it represents their love and respect for the deceased. But like any other major expense for most people, these choices need to be made on a budget, and simply spending more than necessary because as a response to grief may not be the best way to honor the life of a loved one. The most appropriate way to make a sound decision about how much to spend on an urn is to enter the decision-making process with a maximum amount the family is willing to spend clearly in mind. As they investigate the many options they have, either in person with a funeral sales representative or by themselves online, they should refuse to be swayed into spending more than the price limit they originally decided upon. In this way, they can honor their loved one in a way they can feel good about for many years to come.

We don’t prefer traditional burial because of these high costs, but also because of the costs to the environment. According to reports, conventional caskets use up around 90,000 tons of metals every year, as well as 30 million feet of hardwood. Almost a million gallons of toxic embalming fluid is consumed to preserve the dead annually. Also, burial vaults make use of almost two million tons of reinforced concrete every year.

Because conventional burials hurt both the finances and the environment, there is a growing trend towards more environmentally friendly memorial choices and burial urns. This often involves burials in eco-cemeteries.

What Are Eco-Cemeteries?

Just like any cemetery, eco-cemeteries are places for burying the dead. There are, however, a number of differences that mark such cemeteries from other burial places. These differences are:

1. The body of the deceased is not preserved in toxic embalming fluid that contains formaldehyde. Also, the coffin or casket used is made from renewable or recyclable materials, or is simply wrapped in a shroud.

2. Family members dig the graves for their dead using shovels. The graves are not lined with concrete.

3. Instead of granite or manufactured stone markers, natural markers are used to set the grave apart from the others. It could be a tree planted by those left behind, or a natural stone with an engraving.

Why Eco-Cemeteries?

For many people, it makes more sense to bury their dead in eco-cemeteries. The most obvious advantage is that it is more cost-effective, given that the loved ones left behind no longer have to spend for an expensive casket and other funeral services.

Burial in these cemeteries can be looked at more natural and meaningful. You get to prepare for the final resting place of your deceased loved ones with your own hands. If you want a more cathartic release for your grief, nothing beats caring for your dead with your own hands.

Space is often not a problem in these green cemeteries. You can have your deceased loved ones side by side without any worries about space. Many of these environmentally friendly cemeteries also allow for pet burial.

Most importantly, when you turn to eco-cemeteries to bury your dead, you are giving back to the earth the life that the earth nourished and sustained. The minerals and nutrients stored in the body will decompose and enrich the soil in which it is buried. When you plant a tree as a marker for the grave, you help in sustaining more life on this earth that we live in for as long as the tree lives.

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust; so the Bible says. Our lives came from the ashes of this earth. When we bury our dead in eco-cemeteries, we allow their bodies to return to the ashes of the earth and continue the cycle of life of which death is a part. Is this not a more fitting way to honor our beloved dead?

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In the Light Urns is a memorial store that specializes in cremation urns, keepsakes and caskets. For more information visit there website at Inthelighturns.com