When a loved one dies, it is increasingly common for family members to choose a cremation service. This then means you have to make an important decision: what will you do with the ashes of your loved one?
What can you do with the ashes of the deceased?
Many people make a living record of their funeral wishes. But not everyone makes such plans and, therefore, it is the relatives who have to face these decisions.
Once a cremation is chosen, the next question is to determine what to do with the ashes of a loved one. However, not everyone is clear about what the options are, as there are more and more alternatives becoming available. To continue we will take a look at what you can do with the ashes of a loved one.
Depositing them in a columbarium or an ecological burial
A columbarium is a type of small niche, used specifically to conserve the ashes of the deceased. It is in these niches where cinerary urns are deposited.
They are usually found inside cemeteries (although they also exist elsewhere) and are rented for determined periods of time.
Many cemeteries also have other ecological ash burial services , such as an option to inhume the ashes at the foot of a tree or scatter them in a fountain, so that the ashes are diluted with the water of the fountain
- Columbarium Park. This is a type of horizontal burial surrounded by grass with an area that has a capacity for up to four cinerary urns.
- Wall Columbarium. It is a type of vertical burial with capacity for up to four cinerary urns, located in a cemetery in the middle of nature.
- Forest of Calm. This is a natural space where a biodegradable urn is used to inhume the ashes next to a tree. It is an ecological and innovative service.
- Family Tree. This is an area of land that allows up to five biodegradable cinerary urns to be buried around a tree.
- Forest Path. This consists of a space for the ashes to be buried in a biodegradable urn in a natural environment with a forest, prairie and aromatic plants.
It is necessary to take into account the required procedures for the burial of ashes. The family of the deceased will provide the cemetery with a letter of accreditation for the ashes, a document detailing the full name of the deceased person and the place and time of the cremation. The death certificate may also be requested.
Keeping the ashes at home
Another thing that can be done with the ashes of a loved one is to keep them at home. It is advisable to do this in an outside location, but nowadays there are various options for preserving a loved one's ashes:
- Urn. The most frequent choice is to keep the ashes of your deceased relative in a cinerary urn, with various designs to choose from.
- Reliquary. This is a small box or case in which the ashes of a loved one are kept. It is so called because it is a place in which to preserve relics or valuable memories. Its design and materials used to make it can also be very varied to include gold, silver, wood, etc.
- Jewellery. The ashes of a loved one can be kept inside a jewel (a ring, a pendant, etc).
- Diamonds. This options consists of making part of the ashes of our family member into a diamond. It is a very modern procedure in which more and more families are interested.
Spreading the ashes
Another option for the destination of ashes, either by the wishes of the deceased person before dying or by the decision of the family, is to spread them somewhere in the open air. This always has to be done taking into account current legislation and the environmental restrictions that may apply.
It is done in open spaces such as by the sea, in the mountains or in some other place that has a special meaning for our deceased loved one.
What to do with the urn after spreading the ashes? Many families throw it away but it can also be donated or even recycled to be used again. Biodegradable urns specific for burial at sea or in natural environments are also becoming more and more widespread and are environmentally friendly.
Where can the ashes of the deceased be scattered?
When we decide to spread the ashes of a deceased family member, we must take into account some legal considerations before doing so.
Throwing the ashes into the sea
In Spain, throwing the ashes of a deceased relative into the sea is prohibited, unless it is done through an authorised company who will be responsible for requesting the relevant permits.
In any case, a biodegradable urn must be used. Scattering the ashes separately is not permitted either so the urn with the ashes inside must be thrown directly into the sea. It must be an environmentally friendly or biodegradable urn which is made of salt and dissolves when it comes into contact with water.
Scattering the ashes elsewhere
As with the sea, any other place in the natural environment where you want to scatter the ashes of a loved one is protected by law.
Laws and regulations tell us what we are allowed to do with human ashes and how to do it: ask for corresponding permits, use an approved and biodegradable container, etc.
