What is cremation preplanning? You may have heard of an aging family member scheduling an appointment with a local funeral director to pay and plan for their own traditional funeral.  However, you may not know that you can pre-plan for your own end-of-life – no matter the method of final disposition. Here’s what you need to know about cremation preplanning. What Is Cremation Preplanning? Cremation preplanning refers to the process of making arrangements for a person’s cremation before it is needed, typically done well in advance of a person’s passing. You can preplan a dying family member ..read more

As you search online for an end-of-life planning checklist, you may become overwhelmed by all there is to do. Therefore, we advise you to divide your end-of-life plan into three different categories, focusing on your financial life, medical choices, and funeral arrangements. Breaking up your end-of-life planning into these three parts will make things easier for you to complete.  End-of-Life Planning Checklist: Financial Matters Spend time getting your financial affairs in order: Organize all your financial legal documents and ensure they are easy to find – especially important end-of-li ..read more

If you have never been to a Hindu funeral, you may know little about Hindu cremation and end-of-life beliefs. Here’s some general information about Hindu death rituals and beliefs. However, it’s important that you understand that there are several sects, so Hindu funeral rites may depend on the region and other factors. What You Need to Know About Hindu Funeral Rites Before we discuss Hindu funerals, it may be helpful to know about the Hindu cycle called Samsara. It consists of birth, death, and rebirth. The actions performed in a person’s lifetime influence future births. The ultimate goal is ..read more

We know this headline may shock some of you who weren’t aware that cremation jewelry was even a thing. However, one way to memorialize your dad, grandmother, or beloved dog is to create a piece of memorial jewelry using their cremains. Keep reading to learn how to turn cremains into jewelry. What Are Cremains? The word “cremains” is a shortened version of “cremated remains.” Cremains are what’s left over after the cremation process. Even though these remains have commonly been referred to as “cremation ashes,” they have a coarse sand-like quality that looks nothing like ash. This is because “c ..read more

Cremation practices around the world vary widely due to cultural and religious differences. Here are some examples of funeral rituals in different regions of our country and world. From the New Orleans jazz funeral tradition to the Tibetan Buddhist sky burial, people have found different ways to complete the sacred duty of caring for their deceased loved one’s bodies. Cremation Practices of Different Faith Groups It’s important to note that cremation practices vary among faith groups living in different regions. But here is how many of the world’s religions look at cremation. Hinduism Cremati ..read more

The Vatican released a statement regarding Catholic cremation in 2016. We encourage you to read the entire document from the Vatican’s Holy Office about Catholic funeral practices. We will provide direct quotes from the statement from the Vatican to help you understand the Catholic guidelines regarding cremation. Then, we will give you practical advice on ensuring your end-of-life wishes are followed. What are the Catholic cremation rules? Here is a key passage from the document that may help you understand Catholic faith and cremation: “The Church continues to prefer the practice of burying t ..read more

Let’s examine the topic of Buddhism and cremation for those unfamiliar with this faith group’s beliefs. We will also briefly summarize what you might expect from an American Buddhist funeral. Before we continue, it’s important to realize that Buddhist funeral traditions vary throughout the U.S. and the world. It’s difficult to make generalizations about Buddhist funeral etiquette and traditions because the Buddhists of Thailand may have different ideas of Buddhist tradition than those living in Taiwan.  What You Need to Know About Buddhism and Cremation Buddhists typically favor cremation ..read more

Here’s a brief history of cremation. According to the National Funeral Directors Association, human cremation is more common than traditional burial in the U.S. (59.3% vs 35.7%). This statistic may surprise you depending on where you live in the country and your age. You may remember a time when cremation seemed rare in your community, and it may feel like this method of disposition is relatively new. But, a partly cremated body found on a funeral pyre in Israel shows evidence of human cremation in Israel dating back 9,000 years. Early Civilizations and Cremation It should go without saying th ..read more

We know that you don’t like thinking about this subject. But at some point, someone will have to plan your funeral. Funeral preplanning is when you make your own funeral arrangements before you die. At need-funeral plans occur when a person dies with no funeral plans in place. So let’s compare preplanning vs at-need cremation.  Differences Between Preplanning vs At Need Funerals If you’ve never had to plan a funeral, you may not know all the important decisions that must be made during the process. Here are the differences between preplanning a funeral vs making at-need funeral arrangemen ..read more

As you look for a cremation provider, you may wonder about the cremation laws in Philadelphia. Here’s what family members need to know before going to the funeral home or cremation provider. Cremation Laws in Philadelphia There are specific licensing and operational requirements to be considered an authorized crematory in Philadelphia and Pennsylvania. However, these are some cremation service laws you need to be aware of as you choose a provider for your loved one. You do not need to buy a traditional casket for cremation services. Federal law requires a crematory or funeral home to inform yo ..read more