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Answer:
Cremated remains entering the United States have no permit or importation requirements. These "ashes," which are processed bone fragments left over from the cremation process, are sterile because any tissue, blood, or other decomposable material that can transmit disease has been burned away during cremation. Other human remains that require no permit for importation include clean and dry bones, hair, teeth, and finger or toe nails. A deceased person's body that is entering the United States for later burial or cremation must be accompanied by a death certificate and be cleared for entry.
Answer:
Christianity has always practiced burial, but due to the rising popularity of cremation in modern times, most Christian denominations today permit cremation even if they encourage burial as a first choice. However, Eastern Orthodox Christians still don't believe in allowing cremation, and the Eastern Orthodox Church forbids it. Historically, this ban was enacted because cremation was viewed as pagan, and denied the value of the human body and creation by God.
Answer:
Cremated remains can either go directly inside an urn or be contained in a bag inside the urn. When you receive your loved one's ashes from the crematorium, the ashes will already be inside a plastic bag, so you can either place the entire bag inside the urn or pour the ashes from the bag into the urn.
Answer:
Depending on where you bury your loved one's ashes, an urn may or may not be a requirement. If you or your loved ones own the property where you’ll be burying the cremated remains, the decision to use an urn is entirely up to your preference. However, cemeteries often have specific rules on how to bury ashes, and public and private properties may also have regulations for burying ashes. Always ensure you comply with a location's set guidelines and local laws to avoid any issues.
Answer:
When you are arranging a cremation and funeral service through a funeral home, the funeral home will typically offer cremation urns for sale. However, urns sold by a funeral home are often priced extremely high in order to create profit. You should know that you are not obligated to purchase an urn from a funeral home, and you can use your own urn to hold your loved one's ashes. By United States law, a funeral home or crematorium must accept outside urns when transferring cremated remains into a container. Purchasing urns from a third party like In the Light Urns is often preferable to purchasing directly from a funeral home or crematorium, because it allows you more flexibility in pricing and urn customization.
Answer:
Metal urns are one of the most durable types of cremation urns, and can last several decades to centuries. These urns are usually vase-shaped and made from metals such as brass or pewter. It takes extreme force to damage the structure of a metal urn, and if one is buried underground without an urn vault, over time the urn risks collapsing under the weight of soil. Like other metal objects, metal urns can also be dented or scratched with improper handling, but these visual flaws will not affect the strength or function of the urn. In the Light Urns offers free urns for ashes that have suffered minor aesthetic damage in our warehouse and cannot be sold in perfect condition.
Answer:
Metal urns are one of the most durable types of cremation urns, and can last several decades to centuries. These urns are usually vase-shaped and made from metals such as brass or pewter. It takes extreme force to damage the structure of a metal urn, and if one is buried underground without an urn vault, over time the urn risks collapsing under the weight of soil. Like other metal objects, metal urns can also be dented or scratched with improper handling, but these visual flaws will not affect the strength or function of the urn. In the Light Urns offers free urns for ashes that have suffered minor aesthetic damage in our warehouse and cannot be sold in perfect condition.
Answer:
Most metal cremation urns are vase-shaped with a threaded lid, which means that the lid uses a twist mechanism to open and close. To open a metal cremation urn and remove the lid, unscrew the top lid counter-clockwise.
Answer:
Most wood urns are box-shaped and have a removable bottom panel that is held in place via threaded screws. After the screws have been tightened, some people may choose to add glue to seal where the edges of the bottom panel meet the urn, but this is a matter of preference.
Answer:
A wood urn, metal urn, or any type of urn should have a size that corresponds with its intended use. If a person's complete ashes will be stored within one urn, the size of the urn should be large enough to accommodate the full volume. A general guideline is to assume that at least one cubic inch of volume will be necessary per pound of body weight. For example, a person who weighed 125 pounds would need an urn with a volume of over 125 cubic inches. Wood urns also come in keepsake and medium sizes for holding a portion of ashes, and extra-large and companion sizes for holding more than 200 cubic inches of remains.
Answer:
Cremation does not require blood or any other fluids in the body to be drained. However, if a viewing or open casket funeral is planned for your loved one prior to cremation, they will need to be embalmed first, which involves draining blood from the body and replacing it with formaldehyde. This process helps preserve the body by slowing the rate of decomposition. Embalmed bodies can still be cremated, but an embalming is not necessary for cremation. If your loved one will not be viewed post-mortem, you do not need to have them embalmed.
Answer:
A cremation container is a combustible box or casket used to hold a person's intact body before cremation. When cremation occurs, the cremation container holding the body gets burned in a cremation chamber. After cremation, when a person's body has been reduced to bones and ground into small particles resembling sand, an urn is used to store the cremated remains or "ashes." An urn for ashes can be a temporary holding container while the ashes are transported for scattering, or it can be a permanent urn intended for burial or decorative display.
Answer:
For couples that wish to both be cremated, companion urns allow their ashes to be stored together after death. The ashes of an average adult typically require about 200 cubic inches of space, so companion urns have a capacity of at least 400 cubic inches combined. They can have either separate compartments or a single large space to accommodate two or more cremated bodies in one urn. When placing the remains of multiple people in one companion urn, you can choose to keep the ashes separate in bags or pour them together into the urn, mixing the remains.
Is it bad luck to keep ashes in the house?
Educational Resources > A Quick Guide to Cremation, Educational Resources > Religious Views on Cremation
Answer:
It is not bad luck to keep ashes in the house, and no bad luck superstitions about this exist. In fact, many families find comfort in having their loved one nearby. Apprehension or hesitation about keeping cremated remains at home is likely a cultural influence from Catholicism, which teaches that if a Catholic is cremated after death, their remains must be treated the same as an intact body and buried.
Is it bad luck to keep ashes in the house?
Educational Resources > A Quick Guide to Cremation, Educational Resources > Religious Views on Cremation
Answer:
It is not bad luck to keep ashes in the house, and no bad luck superstitions about this exist. In fact, many families find comfort in having their loved one nearby. Apprehension or hesitation about keeping cremated remains at home is likely a cultural influence from Catholicism, which teaches that if a Catholic is cremated after death, their remains must be treated the same as an intact body and buried.
Answer:
When filling an urn, you can choose between placing the entire bag of ashes into the urn (bag transfer), or pouring the ashes from the bag into the urn (direct transfer). Both methods are acceptable, and if you feel uncomfortable directly touching cremated remains, it's perfectly fine to keep your loved one's ashes inside the bag they came in.
Answer:
Scattering urns are designed to allow easy dispersion of ashes in the air or water, and have different shapes depending on the type of scattering. They can be made from biodegradable materials like paper and fiber or durable materials like wood and metal. If a scattering takes place on land, an appropriate scattering urn may be a scattering tube that features an easy-open hole or removable lid to aid the pouring of ashes. Water scattering, where cremated remains are released into the water, can use either scattering tubes or biodegradable urns that are directly placed in the water to sink.
