You can either keep the ashes in a decorative, sealed urn, bury them in a small plot or memorial site, or scatter them at a special location chosen by you or your loved one. However, you will need to ask for permission if your chosen location is on public or private property.
Since all of the organic matter is burned away during cremation, this is why ashes can last (almost) forever - or at least for our entire lifetime. Bones are still DNA and scientists believe that DNA has survived for about one million years.
As a general rule, it is disrespectful to open an urn contrary to the decedent's wishes or beliefs, or for your own curiosity or benefit. You can be confident that you are treating your loved one with proper respect if you are opening the urn to follow their instructions (for scattering, etc) or to honor their memory.
There's nothing bad about keeping cremated remains at home. Even though the practice is legal, those from specific faith communities may object to the practice. Some religious faiths, such as followers of Islam, Eastern Orthodox, and some Jewish sects forbid cremation.
Cremation of a body can be done with or without clothing. Typically, if there has been a traditional funeral (with the body) present, the deceased will be cremated in whatever clothing they were wearing.
If you are concerned that the ashes will smell after the cremation, the answer is no. There is no odor emitted from ashes that have been properly cremated. Even over time, you shouldn't expect any particular smells to develop. If anything, certain cremation containers will simply emit a slight incense-like smell.
The average cremated adult will produce about five pounds of pulverized bone fragments, a coarse powder that is sterile and safe to touch, even if the person died of a communicable disease.
Human ashes are like sand and they do not float. They will not dissolve in the water; instead, they will descend into the ocean until they hit the floor.
What's really returned to you is the person's skeleton. Once you burn off all the water, soft tissue, organs, skin, hair, cremation container/casket, etc., what you're left with is bone. When complete, the bones are allowed to cool to a temperature that they can be handled and are placed into a processing machine.
Many people choose to scatter ashes in their own garden to create a flower bed or garden feature. You can then place a tree or flowering plant in this spot as a colourful reminder of the person you've lost. If you're the homeowner, you won't need to ask for anyone's permission before doing this.
In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices. As a result, some Christian clerics may discourage cremation or prohibit it entirely.
About 5 pounds for an adult. The weight can vary from 3 pounds all the way up to 10, depending on the size and density of the deceased's bones. Organ tissue, fat, and fluids burn away during cremation, leaving only bone behind when the incineration's completed.
Only one body can be cremated at once, and all cremated remains must be cleared from the cremation chamber before another cremation can begin. These standards do mean that you may have little input into any 'customization' of a cremation process.
The cremation itself takes about three to four hours, with another one to two hours for processing. Once a body is cremated, it typically takes seven to ten days to return the ashes to the family.
When to divide ashes? Cremated remains are usually collected by either the funeral director or the person who arranged for the ceremony the day after the cremation. After receiving the ashes, you can decide when and how to divide them up.
A deceased loved one, said Father Salsa, should be in a place “accessible to everyone, where they can be venerated,” so a cemetery is preferable to a home. And scattering ashes can be “misunderstood as a sort of religion of nature, while we believe in resurrection,” he said.
The truth is though, that not only is it possible for cremation remains to hold a person's energy or essence, but it is also possible for that person's energy to be found in their favorite clothing, their favorite objects, their favorite chair.
The law considers ashes to be the same as a body, so is unwilling to rule for separating them amongst different parties.