What Happens when People are Cremated

Cremation is a Common Method of Disposing of a Person’s Remains

Apr 4, 2010
Debbie Roome

Most Areas are Serviced by a Crematorium - Debbie Roome

With cemeteries filling up and costs rising, more and more people are looking at cremation as a wise choice.

While most people don’t like discussing death, it is important to make arrangements and leave directions for burial or cremation. These can be discussed with loved ones, family members or a lawyer and wishes should be recorded on paper for future reference. Understanding the process of cremation can help people in choosing their preferred method of body disposal.

Arranging a Cremation

There are many crematoriums to choose from and if death is imminent, it can be a good idea to visit some and compare prices and facilities. There is normally a set time allowed for the service and the cremation is generally private. Some will supply a generic cardboard container for the ashes while others will offer a range of wooden urns. While many people stipulate where they want their ashes scattered, others are happy to be scattered in a garden of remembrance which are attached to many crematoriums. Cremation is normally cheaper than buying a plot in a cemetery and burial.

How is a Cremation Performed

While cremation techniques may vary slightly from country to country, this is the general procedure that is followed:

The coffin is admitted into the cremation chamber.
A single burner normally fires diagonally down onto the coffin.
The aim is to incinerate the body as quickly as possible with the least smoke and pollution.
Once the coffin has burnt away, the body starts to burn.
A cremation normally takes about two hours.
All coffins and bodies are processed separately.
The remains that come out of the cremation chamber contain bone fragments. These are pulverised in a cremulator to form the ashes that are passed onto the family.
The ashes normally weigh about two kilograms.

Interesting Facts about Cremation

Cremation has grown in popularity over the last century. According to Michael Dunn, author of The Good Death Guide, cremation was illegal in England until the late nineteenth century. He mentions several other interesting facts including these:

Cremation is forbidden for Orthodox Jews and Muslims.
Cremation is mandatory for adult Hindus.
In Japan, cremation is used 97% of the time.
Temperatures in cremation chambers average from 800 to 1000 °C.
Babies and young children often leave no ash as their bones are incompletely formed.
There are companies that will incorporate a thimbleful of human ash into a piece of jewelry.

Cremation or burial is a personal choice and if a loved one does not say which they prefer, it is up to the family to decide. If there are no religious or personal reasons why cremation cannot be used, it is a valid option in today’s world.

References:

The Good Death Guide by Michael Dunn, How to Books, 2000, ISBN 1-85703-559-3