The days when most Americans chose a casket and a traditional graveside burial for their funerals are long gone. This is large because cremation became the top choice in 2015 and has been climbing in popularity. As a result, cremation services in Philadelphia, PA, have played a tangibly important part.

More than half of Americans who die this year will be cremated, according to the National Funeral Directors Association, or NFDA. In addition, the association predicts that nearly 80% of us will choose to be cremated into ash in 20 years.

Why Did Centuries-Old Burial Traditions Change?

Mike Nicodemus, NFDA executive vice president of cremation services, said, "Cost is the primary consideration." But, according to him, there have been fewer religious restrictions, and modern lifestyles are extremely transient.

As funeral costs rise, so do the prices for funeral plots and incidentals that many people are unaware of. It is not uncommon for cemeteries to charge outrageous amounts to allow burials or to require grave liners.

Approximately 8,000 dollars was the median cost of an average funeral in 2016. Caskets alone cost between $2,000 and $10,000, according to NFDA statistics. The price is increasing every year.

In 2016, the cost of a direct cremation was $2,400, based on the same statistics.

Nicodemus added that families today often live in different parts of the United States, making it challenging to arrange a funeral promptly. He said it's much easier to cremate the body and carry the remains for a memorial later.

Since the 1960s, the Vatican has loosened its stance on cremation. However, the church still insists that the ashes are buried, not scattered, even when practicing Catholics can choose cremation.

Changes in religious attitudes have also fueled the trend. People today are less religious than in the past, which makes traditional funerals in churches less necessary.

“In today's funeral homes, many funeral homes are serving as wedding planners and funeral planners,” Nicodemus said, “offering a variety of options and performing most of the coordination.”

According to Nicodemus, attitudes toward cremation have changed as more and more baby boomers attend cremation funerals.

"They've had family members and friends die and were pleased with the memorial service they attended," he said. But, afterward, they say, "I don't want to do all this funeral stuff. I would appreciate it if my ashes were cremated and the service held somewhere simple."

A growing generation of baby boomers is also a major contributor to a cultural shift in funeral preferences, Nicodemus said, adding that he does not expect that trend to change soon. "I do not think there is any question that cremation is here to stay," Nicodemus stated. "It has become the new norm."

Memorabilia and Art Made for a Memorial

For baby boomers and their families, keeping a loved one's cremated ashes in some way memorable and lasting is a top priority. There are, therefore, many imaginative choices to choose from among many companies.

Tattoo artists are creating lasting memorials for loved ones with memorial tattoos in which they mix ink with some ashes. A portrait can also be created by mixing your ashes with paint.

A pendant can be made with ashes placed into small containers. It is also possible to place your ashes in a memorial made of glass art.

Several people are putting their ashes into stuffed, huggable animals to remember their children.

There is no limit to the height cremation services in Philadelphia, PA can grow in the next decades. With the recent need to save cost, save energy, and have a wonderful time keeping the environment neat, cremation will go to new heights.