Funeral Home Cremations Mount Vernon WA

Choosing Between Cremation and a Funeral Service in Mount Vernon, WA

It’s a certainty that, given enough time, everyone will pass away eventually. But even though death is as certain as taxes, as the old saying goes, too few people actually preplan their cremation or funeral. You don’t have to be among the people who fail to contact a Mount Vernon, WA funeral home for the help they need to preplan final services.

While both cremation and traditional earth burial are great body disposition methods, you may feel more strongly about one than the other. It’s also possible that you don’t really care which one you eventually get since you might simply not be the picky type. If you’re sort of sitting on the fence and don’t yet have enough information on the two body disposition methods, what follows is a bit of a comparison that will help you make an informed decision on the matter.

Consider Body Disposition Differences While Planning Cremation at a Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, WA

You’ll find that there are some substantial differences between cremation and burial. When a deceased person is being cremated, their body is placed into an extremely hot cremation chamber. The intense heat of the chamber reduces the body to ashes, teeth, and bone fragments. These contents are then ground up to a fine powdery substance known as cremains or cremation ashes. When a body is buried, the body is lowered into the ground fully intact and it is allowed to break down naturally to its basic elements.

As well, a traditional earth burial comes with some sort of funeral service whether it be in a funeral home chapel, a church, or some other location. A cremation can be held either with or without a service. In this way, cremation and burial are similar since it’s possible to hold a service and even a memorial service.

Another way to compare burial and cremation is in terms of what can be done after the body disposition service has taken place. With burial, the body is buried beneath the ground in a cemetery and that is pretty much the end. But with cremation, there are a lot more options. The ashes can be buried in an urn, scattered, kept as a memento, turned into cremation jewelry, and more. At Moles Farewell Tributes, a Mount Vernon, WA cremation and funeral home business, we can help you sort out some of the difference between cremation and burial so that you can make an informed decision based on facts.

Consider Religious and Cultural Factors

While many religions – mainstream and otherwise – are accepting of cremation, this wasn’t always the case. In fact, the Catholic Church was staunchly against cremation. Things have changed, however, since the Catholic Church and many other churches have come on board. But while many Christian denominations are okay with cremation, some of them still prefer burial. Other religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, are big on cremation. Islam is one of the religious traditions that is firmly against cremation.

In addition to religious considerations, you also need to mull over factor cultural factors. Some cultures prefer the tradition behind burial with a full funeral service. If your culture prefers this, then you may want to stick with cultural norms for a great final send-off. A simple cremation, minus a service, might not be the best fit for you if you want a service. The good news, though, is that you can opt for cremation with a service. This combines a cremation and a funeral-style service that will provide the perfect opportunity to mourn and heal.

Consider the Environment

You can have an environmentally friendly body disposition whether you choose burial or cremation, but it can be argued that you’ll cut your carbon footprint more with the latter. For one, a cremation means that there is no body to bury, which will free up land space. And cremains don’t pose any health or environmental risks, so you can scatter the ashes — thereby eliminating the need to bury the body — without worry. You can contact us at Moles Farewell Tributes to learn more about our green burials. We are committed to being good stewards of the environment and we want to offer that option to our customers.

Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory, a Mount Vernon, WA funeral home and cremation company, offers cremation, cremation with a service, or funeral service. Mount Vernon, WA, which is situated in Skagit County and which had a population of just over 35.000 in 2017, is just one of the areas we service. We’d also be happy to share some more tips with you on how to go about deciding between cremation and burial. You can get in touch anytime for a free, no-obligation consultation. We have three locations to serve you better. Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory – Bayview Chapel at 2465 Lakeway Dr Bellingham, WA 98229, (360) 733-0510; Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory – Ferndale at 2039 Main St Ferndale, WA 98248, (360) 384-1391; and Moles Farewell Tributes & Crematory – Greenacres Memorial Park at 5700 Northwest Dr Ferndale, WA 98248, (360) 384-3401. You can also visit us online at https://www.molesfarewelltributes.com/ to learn more about our services.