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Should cremated ashes be divided?
Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn, Educational Resources > Collecting Ashes After a Cremation
Answer:
A loved one's cremated remains may either be divided among family or kept together within one urn. Some families find comfort in sharing ashes amongst themselves so that family members can keep their lost one close, while other families feel it's more respectful to keep the ashes intact so that their loved one can remain whole. Deciding whether to divide cremated ashes is a personal choice that varies by family, and both options are respectable ways to honor a loved one's memory. Ultimately, the decision should honor the wishes of the deceased and provide peace to those left behind.
Answer:
Showering with cremation jewelry isn't a good idea, because you risk damaging the jewelry piece or introducing water into the ashes compartment. To protect your cremation jewelry, you should set it in a dry place before performing routine hygiene tasks.
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If your husband (or spouse) has passed away, keeping your husband's ashes at home is a respectful way to honor your spouse's memory and keep him close to you. You may wish to consider the preferences of other family members, and split the ashes if there are multiple people who would like to keep a portion of ashes.
Answer:
The amount of ashes you will need to fill a cremation jewelry urn depends on the specific jewelry piece you have, but you can expect to need no more than 2 cubic inches of cremated remains at most. Many cremation jewelry pendants hold a minuscule amount of ashes, approximately the size of one or two grains of rice. This minimal amount ensures the jewelry remains lightweight and comfortable to wear while still honoring your loved one.
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.
How do you know you get the right ashes after cremation?
Educational Resources > Collecting Ashes After a Cremation, Educational Resources > Understanding the Cremation Process
Answer:
When you receive the remains of your loved one, the bag of ashes will include a small metal disk with a number on it. This metal disk has been used to identify your loved one prior to cremation, with the number being a unique identification number, and has not left your loved one's side through the cremation process.
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The opportunity for a final goodbye before cremation can occur at a funeral or memorial service held prior to the cremation. A memorial service before cremation allows family and friends a time to grieve and say their final goodbyes to their loved one. If the deceased is laid to rest in an open casket during the service, this viewing can also give mourners closure to see their loved one a last time before cremation. Some cremation providers also offer a witnessed cremation, where a small number of family members are allowed to join the cremation operator and watch their loved one be placed into the cremation chamber. A witnessed cremation allows grieving family to be the last people to see their loved one before cremation occurs.
Answer:
You do not always have to wait to cremate a deceased person, but most funeral homes and crematoriums in the United States will wait three days before proceeding with either cremation or burial. This waiting period allows grieving family and friends to make arrangements for a memorial service or funeral, and provides time for transportation and the service itself. Additionally, the extra time allows the funeral home and crematorium to obtain a death certificate and the immediate family's permission to cremate. If your loved one has pre-planned for a direct cremation without a memorial service, you may be able to have your loved one cremated immediately, depending on your cremation provider.
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.
How long do cremated ashes last in an urn?
Educational Resources > A Quick Guide to Cremation, Educational Resources > Collecting Ashes After a Cremation
Answer:
Cremated ashes are actually bone fragments that have survived the cremation process. During cremation, heat burns away any decomposable material, so the remaining bone fragments are sterile and can last indefinitely in an urn if stored properly. A sealed, dry urn can preserve your loved one's ashes for eternity. Ashes will also remain intact outside of a container if they remain moisture-free, so it isn't necessary to have an urn immediately once you receive your loved one's remains from the crematorium.
Answer:
A cremation urn is a type of container used to hold the cremated remains of a person. Urns for ashes can hold some or all of a person's remains, and can be made from several different materials including metal, wood, stone, and paper. Traditional urns are shaped like vases or jars, but urns can also be shaped like boxes or take contemporary designs, like the 3D-printed urns available at In the Light Urns. Urns can be customized with different designs, themes, or engravings to honor a person's memory and memorialize them.
Can I make my own cremation urn?
Educational Resources > A Quick Guide to Cremation, Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn
Answer:
You can use any container you find appropriate to hold your loved one's ashes or your future ashes, and if you feel that no cremation urns you find are suitable, you can make your own urn for ashes. However, depending on the materials you use to create a DIY urn, the urn may not be as durable and long-lasting as an urn that was professionally manufactured. At In the Light Urns, we create custom cremation urns for ashes and can help you make a personalized urn for your needs. Our 3D-printed custom urns are excellent choices for an urn that you can design to be printed in any shape or style imaginable.
How to choose a cremation urn?
Educational Resources > Choosing the Perfect Cremation Urn, Educational Resources > Choosing a Cremation Jewelry Urn
Answer:
- To choose a cremation urn, you should consider how much volume you will need, along with how the urn will be used. If the urn will be used to hold an adult's complete amount of ashes, you will likely want a standard-sized urn, which is designed to accommodate most adults.
- Our urn size calculator can help you estimate the volume of your loved one's cremated remains and determine what size urn may be appropriate.
- Once you have an urn size in mind, you can select an urn material based on the urn's intended use, such as whether it will be displayed, buried, or used for scattering.
- For every urn size and urn material, there are beautiful urn options to choose from, and you can pick a design that speaks to you or that fittingly memorializes your loved one.
Answer:
Cremation jewelry typically has a small compartment where a tiny amount of ashes can be placed, often sealed with a screw or other closure method. For your convenience, we include a filling kit with each jewelry order, which contains a detailed instruction pamphlet, a funnel, a pipette, a toothpick, and sealing glue.
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:
To fill a cremation urn with ashes, you can use direct transfer, bag transfer, or bag-to-bag transfer. The simplest way to fill a cremation urn is through bag transfer, where you simply place the entire bag of ashes inside the urn. Pouring ashes from their bag into the urn itself is called direct transfer, while pouring ashes from one bag into another bag is called bag-to-bag transfer. Any of these three methods will work to fill a cremation urn. If you are filling a smaller urn such as a medium urn or a keepsake urn, you can use direct transfer to pour some ashes into the urn, or use bag-to-bag transfer to portion out some ashes into a smaller bag before using bag transfer to place the smaller bag into the urn.
Answer:
Vase-style urns seal with a threaded closure on the lid, while box-style urns seal with additional screws that hold the lid in place. Keepsake urns and cremation jewelry urns will also have a type of secure lid that seals, usually featuring a threaded closure. These urns will all safely hold ashes without opening, but for further peace of mind, you may choose to additionally seal a lid with silicone, resin, or epoxy glue. To permanently seal an urn using glue, only a small amount of glue is necessary.
Educational Resources > Collecting Ashes After a Cremation, Educational Resources > Filling a Cremation Urn with Ease
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Anyone can fill a cremation urn with ashes or other sentimental items, and there are no special qualifications or training needed. However, if you are uncomfortable with handling your loved one's cremated remains, you can ask your funeral home or cremation provider to fill the urn for you.
Answer:
If a cremation urn has not been permanently sealed with glue, it can be opened again by unscrewing the threaded closure or removing any screws holding a lid in place. An urn may be opened to transfer the remains into a new urn, perhaps because the current urn is a temporary container or a new urn has been chosen for the ashes. An urn may also be opened to remove the remains for other final disposition, such as scattering. However, a cremation urn does not need to be opened for maintenance or cleaning, and does not need to be replaced unless the urn is damaged. Opening an urn can introduce moisture to cremated remains, so it shouldn't be opened unless necessary.
