Demystifying misconceptions surrounding cremation.

Having a loved one pass away can be a traumatic experience.

And if you are tasked with planning their funeral, it can be challenging to take care of the logistics while in mourning.

If you decide to cremate your deceased loved one you may have a few questions.

At Value Cremations, our goal is to simplify and demystify the cremation process.

Despite the practice of cremation being around for more than 2000 years, there is still some mystery surrounding the process.

It is not a common conversation and most people never see what happens behind the scenes.

Considering there are several falsehoods surrounding cremation it may be helpful to understand how the cremation process works. Below are three misconceptions surrounding cremation we would like dispel:

Myth 1 – Cremation entails the burning of the body

One of the biggest misassumptions that people have regarding cremation is that their loved one’s body will be put on fire.

The truth is that cremation does not mean that your loved one’s remains will be given to an open fire.

Cremation is a method of disposition where the body is reduced to its basic chemical compounds of gases, ashes and mineral fragments, through an incineration process in an industrial furnace known as a cremation chamber. 

The body is always placed inside a casket or coffin before entering the chamber. The coffin or casket is cremated with the body during the cremation process. A body is never placed into the chamber on its own. 

As the temperatures in the chamber rises, to 800-1000 degrees Celsius, the heat disintegrates the remains into bone fragments.

These fragments known as ashes are collected and allowed to cool down, before being processed in a special grinder that turns the ashes into cremains which are ready to be placed into a container or urn.

Most crematoriums have a 48-hour turn-around time for collection of ashes as standard. 

Myth 2 – Cremation means no funeral service

People who have never had someone close to them cremated tend to believe that it means there will be no funeral service for the deceased.

But what they are not keeping in mind is that the funeral service is not merely about burying the loved one.

A funeral service primarily functions to memorialise the person that has passed away.

Therefore, even if you choose to cremate your loved one, it does not mean you cannot hold a memorial service to celebrate their life.

Myth 3 – There is a high risk of getting a stranger’s remains

Another misassumption that people make regarding the cremation process is that there is the likelihood of the remains of their loved one being mixed up with those of another deceased person.

Some people even think that their loved one’s remains could end up being mixed up with someone else in the same urn.

Crematoriums, in truth, have rigorous protocols that have been set up to prevent this from happening at all costs.

In fact, bodies are never cremated together. Instead, the cremation is done individually unless you have written down that you want two loved ones cremated simultaneously and the only exception for this would be in the case of mother and baby, or twins.

At Value Cremations we are with your loved one every step of the way.