Cremation Vs Burial: A Comparison Guide

Choosing between cremation and burial is a deeply personal decision that can significantly impact how you and your loved ones experience the grieving process. Understanding the similarities and differences between these two options can help you make an informed choice that honors your loved one’s memory and aligns with your values and beliefs. You can also use the information in this article to help you decide when making preplanned arrangements. 

There is no right or wrong choice between cremation and burial. Given the importance of this selection, you deserve to spend time comparing the two before making a preference for yourself or a loved one who did not indicate their wishes. 

Similarities Between Cremation and Burial

Traditional Funeral Services

Both cremation and burial can include traditional funeral services. You can hold a funeral with a casket present for either option. This allows friends and family to gather, pay their respects, and say their final goodbyes in a familiar setting.

Viewings and Visitations

Both cremation and burial allow viewings or visitations. These services allow mourners to see the deceased one last time, which can be a crucial part of the grieving process. Since cremation doesn’t require a casket, many funeral homes have rental caskets for a formal viewing or service.

Memorial Options

Both cremation and burial offer various memorial options. Cremated ashes may be buried in a traditional plot, interred in a columbarium (like a mausoleum but for cremation urns instead of caskets), kept in an urn, scattered in a meaningful location, or incorporated into memorial items like cremation jewelry or keepsake boxes.

Burial memorial options are limited to below-the-earth or above-ground mausoleums. Either way, a gravesite can be a permanent place for family and friends to visit and remember the deceased. 

Environmental Impact

Both cremation and burial have environmental impacts that should be considered. By weighing these factors, you can make an informed decision that aligns with your environmental values.

Cremation Environmental Pros:

• Requires less land compared to burial, preserving space
• Does not require embalming fluids
• Uses fewer physical resources (e.g., caskets, vaults) compared to traditional burial

Cremation Environmental Cons:

• Releases carbon dioxide and other pollutants into the atmosphere
• Requires significant energy to maintain the high temperatures necessary for the process.
• While newer methods like alkaline hydrolysis are more eco-friendly, they are not widely available.

Burial Environmental Pros: 

• Contributes to the ecosystem when green burial practices are used that avoid embalming and allow the body to decompose naturally
• Sequesters carbon through trees and bushes in cemeteries

Burial Environmental Cons: 

• Requires significant land that adds to habitat destruction and urban sprawl.
• Introduces harmful chemicals into the soil with embalming fluids
• Disrupts the ecosystem with materials that do not decompose 

Differences Between Cremation and Burial

Cost Considerations

Cremation is generally more affordable. Direct cremation, which includes transportation, brief climate-controlled care, and cremation, ranges from $900 to $2,500. Adding services like viewings and memorials can increase costs from $1,500 to $5,000.

Burial is typically more expensive, ranging from $7,000 to $12,000 for traditional burial. Even without a funeral service, the casket, burial plot, and headstone are still required. 

Tradition and Rituals

Cremation provides flexibility in memorial services. You can hold a memorial at any time and location, making it easier for distant family members to attend.

Funeral services with a burial follow a more rigid timeline. Many families have dedicated burial plots, which play a significant part in family heritage. 

Religious and Cultural Beliefs

Burial remains the preferred method of disposition for several world religions. However, some faiths, such as Catholicism and the Reform branch of Judaism, now allow cremation for their followers. Native Americans have a long-standing tradition of cremation, as do Buddhists, Hindus, and Shiks. 

Personal Preferences and Family Dynamics

Personal and family preferences play a pivotal role in the decision-making process. Cremation allows for greater flexibility in planning a service and choosing memorial options. Cremated remains may be transported, allowing for multiple memorial services or keeping some ashes in keepsakes, urns, or jewelry. 

Many families prefer the traditions associated with burial, whether it involves a family plot or religious beliefs. 

Preplanning for Cremation or Burial

Whether you choose cremation or burial, the most critical aspect is that the decision reflects your values and wishes (or those of a loved one if you are the decision maker). Speaking with a preplanned arrangement advisor can provide clarity and peace of mind by helping you understand all your options and make informed decisions. They can guide you through the financial, environmental, and personal implications of cremation and burial, ensuring your choices align with your values and ease the emotional burden on your loved ones.Find an advisor near you.