John Semley at Harper’s Magazine:
About a decade ago, cremation surpassed traditional burial as the most popular method of disposition in the United States. Last year, data provided by the NFDA showed that the cremation rate has since risen to 63.4 percent and is on track to hit 82.3 percent by 2045. Of the number of total cremations, an estimated 40 percent are direct cremations: those in which a body is delivered to a furnace shortly after death, circumventing any kind of casket, embalming, or restoration altogether.
There is no shortage of explanations for this broad cultural shift. There’s the decline in regular religious attendance, which now stands at 34 percent, and the corresponding waning of associated ceremonies. Some morticians cite the widespread adoption of smartphone cameras and the ready availability of photos of our loved ones, which may diminish people’s interest in creating what is sometimes called a memory picture, or final mental image, of the departed. There are environmental concerns that traditional burials monopolize too much land and employ toxins that can leach into the soil and groundwater.
more here.
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