What to do with Remains?

When a member of the family dies and the body undergoes basic cremation, a lot of people might wonder what exactly they are going to do with the remains of their loved one.

The process of dealing with remains has evolved over time. As generations went by, different changes have been made. Culture and religion also have varying thoughts on how the family should handle the remains.

Different Practices Then and Now
• During the Roman Empire, immediately after cremation, the remains are placed in an urn.
• Christians were not even allowed to do cremation not until it was legalized in 1963 by the Vatican.
• Until today, many of these religions still uphold the value of the body and that cremation is a violation of the people’s respect towards it.
• The Muslims and Orthodox Jews are some of the people that do not practice cremation.
• Most Catholics still bury the dead bodies even if cremation is already allowed.
• Roman Catholics that choose to cremate the body of their deceased loved one often keep the remains in a single place, usually in an urn in a chamber or at home.

Today, even if traditions still have an impact on the way the family deals with the remains, new practices have also been popular.
Wills

Because last wills and ethical wills are now available for people to make, the dead person will actually have a say on how he or she wants his remains will be kept or handled.

Without a will, the immediate family will be given the choice of deciding on what to do with the remains.
• Most families would keep a part of the remains in a cremation urn which they can bring home or keep in a columbarium.
• The rest of the ashes can be scattered in the favorite places of the deceased loved one.
• Usually, the ashes are scattered in a body of water like a river, a like or in the sea.
• If the family would want, the urn can actually be buried and a cemetery plot.
• A small portion of the remains can also be made into jewelry like bracelets and pendants.
• For those people who do not wish to keep any remains at home, a columbarium will be the best place to keep the remains.