A Look at Current Funeral Trends

Among the cremation services offered in Beltsville, MD are some of the newest trends in funerals. The funeral industry, as a whole, is undergoing epic changes.

People are dying as they always have, but they are taking more control over how their lives end. More people, facing certain death with terminal illnesses such as cancer or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), are choosing to die at home. They are bringing in palliative and hospice care at the appropriate times, but they do not want to die in a facility or in the hospital.

Although the essential elements of grief over the death of a loved one will never change, the way some people are translating or processing that grief is changing. There are new ways and avenues available to remember a loved one.

One of the current funeral trends is cremation jewelry and cremation art. Although cremation jewelry has been around for centuries, it has really become popular as a way to have a loved one close by at all times. A small portion of the cremation remains are placed into a locket, which can be worn on a necklace, a ring, a broach or any other type of jewelry. The jewelry can then be worn at all times so that the deceased loved one is always with the family members.

Additionally, cremation remains are also becoming a popular art medium. One of the current trends is for tattoo artists to mix some of the cremains with the inks that they are going to use for a tattoo. The tattoo may be one that memorializes a loved one or it may just be a tattoo that reminds the person who’s getting it of their deceased loved one. Another current trend is to use cremation remains with paint and create a painting, either a picture of a loved one or picture of something else, using the paint mixture.

Both of these trends show a desire on the part of the family members who were left to have their loved ones with them in a more personal way than just sticking an urn upon the mantle in the living room.

Another current funeral trend is that as cemeteries run out of space horizontally, they are contemplating going vertical. Much like the concept of columbariums, some cemeteries are considering building structures up to hold caskets. One such structure has already been built in the crowded city of Singapore. Named Nirvana, the structure contains red carpeted VIP rooms, and curved walls painted in comforting colored swirls. It has 40,000 niches that can hold caskets. The bottom floor has a café for visitors to frequent before or after they visit their deceased loved one.

Two other funeral trends that are currently gaining traction are green burials and pod burials. Green burials feature the deceased being buried in a container that is completely biodegradable. Some cemeteries are starting to add green burial spaces to their cemeteries.

Pod burials are a type of green burial. The pods are organic and biodegradable, which allows the body to naturally decompose, releasing the nutrients that nourish new life like plants and trees.

Another current funeral trend is toward expanding available products for pet cremations. With the explosion of pet care products, veterinary services, and pet care apps, it’s clear that we Americans love our pets. They become like family members, and losing one or having to put one to sleep can break our hearts. However, whether we choose to bury them or have them cremated, there are many products out in the marketplace that allow us to do it in style.

If you want more information about cremation services offered in Beltsville, MD, you can talk with our expert staff at Donald V. Borgwardt Funeral Home, P.A. You can drop by our funeral home at 4400 Powder Mill Rd., Beltsville, MD, 20705, or you can contact us today at (301) 937-1707.