A first decision is whether the person who has died is to be buried or cremated. They may have expressed a preference. For some the association of cremation is with the purifying and transformational properties of fire; for others it is seen to be less ecological. Having the ashes afterwards can also feel important, with a chance for another, personal ceremony when scattering or interring the ashes. For others, burial feels comforting and the completion of a natural cycle, being enfolded back into the earth, into Mother Nature.
The choice is often emotional – one feels better than the other. For others there may be a family tradition. Many churchyards are now full, but there are lovely alternatives to these and, in Devon, there are burial choices no more expensive than cremation.
Cremation is the choice of over 70% of us. If choosing burial there are 4 main options: burial in a churchyard; in a town cemetery; in a natural or woodland burial ground; on private land.
