Like everything else these days, the way Americans memorialize death is going through some wrenching changes.
The Washington Post website explored the topic by noting that the percentage of cremations has risen rapidly over the last two decades.
In 2020, 56% of Americans who died were cremated. That is more than double the rate of 27% from 20 years ago, and both the Cremation Association of North America and the National Funeral Directors Association predict that by 2040, 80% of Americans will be cremated instead of buried in a traditional casket.
If that forecast is anywhere near accurate, it would be a rapid change for a procedure that for two centuries or more was one of American culture’s most stable events.
It’s worth noting, though, that the current cremation rates in many Southern states with a larger share of religious residents is about 40% — well below the national average. If the rest of the country really is heading toward 80% cremations in the coming years, states like Mississippi and Louisiana probably will be a little lower than that.
The Post linked the rising cremation rates to the decline in religious participation that has been well documented in recent years. That may be, but it’s impossible to ignore another factor: cost.
The funeral directors association estimated that the average cremation carries only one-third of the cost of a funeral with visitation. Interestingly, cremation with visitation is only a few hundred dollars less expensive than a funeral, and that probably explains why more survivors are skipping the visitation altogether.
“Some people want it over and done with,” said a New York City cemetery president. That seems a little blunt, as the most memorable funeral services — either by burial or cremation — include unexpected moments of humor and even joy that help people move past grief.
What’s interesting is the new forms of “disposal” that are being developed — just in time for an inevitable spike in deaths as the massive Baby Boom generation moves on.
The problem with traditional burials is that all cemeteries eventually run out of space. And cremations use a large amount of heat and energy to turn a body into ash. Alternatives are literally giving people the opportunity to become part of the earth.
According to the Post, these include “green burials,” where the casket is replaced by a shroud or biodegradable container that allows the body to naturally decompose; natural organic reduction, which basically is human composting; and alkaline hydrolysis, a water-based, energy-efficient cremation process.
All these procedures are in their infancy. They are not even approved for use in all 50 states. But it took cremation several decades to gain wide acceptance, and the rapid growth of that procedure would indicate that families are willing to consider options for death services. It sounds like more of these options are coming soon.
— Jack Ryan, McComb Enterprise-Journal
