Cremation - Another Option When Preplanning A Funeral

The practice of cremation began with the ancient Greeks who buried their dead until about 1000 BC. Cremation was first used as a practical solution when death occurred on the battlefield. Urns filled with the ashes of fallen soldiers were easier to return to grieving relatives. Ash filled urns also allowed for state funerals weeks or even months after a hero's death.

The Romans also cremated the deceased and developed columbariums or special buildings with niches to accommodate urns containing ashes. Today's columbariums are much the same as in Roman times with niches that hold urns containing the remains of one, two or even entire family members.

Cremation does not take the place of traditional funeral services; it's simply another form of final disposition. Cremation is a process in which intense heat is used to transform the deceased's body back to its basic elements. What remains is not really ashes, but bone fragments which are referred to as "cremains". The family may choose to hold visiting hours; have a memorial service at the funeral home and at the columbarium. Funeral services arranged by a funeral director are the memorialization of a loved one whether that person is cremated or committed to a traditional earth burial.

More people in New York State are choosing cremation as a final disposition for their loved ones according to figures released by the Cremation Association of North America (CANA). In 1995 the cremation rate was 16.4 percent of funerals; in 2000 it was 19 percent.

Unlike some other states that have been in the news recently, New York State's laws and regulations have many strong provisions to protect consumers by helping ensure that the bodies of the deceased are treated with dignity, and that their loved ones are afforded the respect and courtesy to which they are entitled.

These laws require that all interments and/or cremations are prohibited unless accompanied by a burial or cremation permit that has been issued by the appropriate local registrar of vital statistics. The law also specifies that anyone in authority at a crematory must make sure that the person in charge of the body is a duly licensed funeral director. Among other safeguards, no cremation can take place until confirmation of the identity of the deceased is made. The crematory owner or operator must also keep a record of all cremations performed at each facility which includes name of the deceased, place of death, date of cremation and the name and address of the funeral director handling the arrangements.

For more detailed information on cremation and answers to frequently asked questions about cremation, please visit cremation pages on this website by clicking CREMATION and www.icfa.org. Your neighborhood funeral director will also be happy to answer any questions you may have.

back to top

This article was prepared with information from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA).