Tag: insights

As you decide what to do with your loved one’s remains, you may want to consider a burial at sea. This beautiful ceremony releases cremation ash into open water. If you’d like to scatter ashes at sea, there are several options and guidelines to consider. 

Table of Contents

Plan an Ocean Burial
How do I request a burial at sea?
Your Options: Scattering Ashes at Sea
Can you Scatter Ashes in the ocean?
How to Scatter Ashes at Sea
Your Options: Scatter Ashes on the beach
Can you scatter ashes on the beach?
How to Scatter Ashes at the Beach
Selecting Sea Burial Services
How much does it cost to be buried at sea?
Burial at Sea Ceremony Ideas
Prayers for Burial at Sea
Poems for Ocean Ash Scattering
Bible Verses for Ocean Burial

We recommend working with a planning service to ensure that you comply with EPA regulations. Also, it frees you to focus on the memorial service. If you’re planning one of these ceremonies common questions include: 

• Is it illegal to put ashes in the ocean?
• What are the rules for burial at sea?
• What should I bring for an ocean burial?
• What should I say during the memorial ceremony?

This guide reviews the most popular questions and our recommendations for a smooth, simple release.

Plan an Ocean Burial

When you dispose of human remains in the ocean, this is classified as a burial at sea. Often, people imagine military funeral services conducted by the United States Navy. However, there are private options available to anyone. 

How do I request a burial at sea?

If you are interested in a private ceremony, you can contact a company that provides these services. For example, we offer both attended and unattended ceremonies through Rest Ashured. 

Your Options: Scattering Ashes at Sea

Using a boat, cremation ashes can be scattered on the water or floated in a biodegradable urn. 

Can you Scatter Ashes at sea?

Yes, but you must follow EPA regulations. Cremated remains must be buried at least three nautical miles from land. You may use flowers or wreaths that are readily decomposable in the marine environment. 

You must notify the EPA within 30 days following your event. All burials at sea conducted under the MPRSA general permit must be reported to the EPA Region from which the vessel carrying the remains departed.

Procedure From EPA.gov: 

“A burial at sea of non-cremated and cremated human remains may be reported to EPA using the Burial at Sea Reporting Tool. The Burial at Sea Reporting Tool enables individuals or companies that have conducted a burial at sea to enter information into a simple online form and report the burial directly to EPA. For information about the Burial at Sea Reporting Tool including instructions for reporting one or multiple burials at sea, please see the Burial at Sea Reporting Tool Fact Sheet. Please note that you do not need to submit documentation, such as a Certificate of Death, to EPA when reporting a burial at sea.

To report a burial of human remains by other means, please contact the EPA Region where the vessel carrying the remains departed. To identify the appropriate EPA Regional contact, please see EPA’s Regional Offices Contact List.”

Restrictions From EPA.gov:

“The following activity is not allowed under the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea:

• Burying human remains in ocean waters within three nautical miles from shore, i.e., the ordinary low water mark or a closing line drawn on nautical charts across the openings of bays and rivers.
• Burial of non-human remains (such as pet remains).
• Placement of materials which are not readily decomposable in the marine environment, such as plastic or metal flowers and wreaths, tombs, tombstones, gravestones, monuments, mausoleums, artificial reefs, etc.

Any such activity would require an application for an MPRSA special permit.”

How to Scatter Ashes at Sea

Most people choose between a scattering ceremony and a floating ceremony. 

• Scattering Ceremony: The family takes an active part in scattering the ashes of their loved one. You can designate a single person to release the ashes. In other ceremonies, guests will take a portion of the ashes to scatter. Guests may choose to share a word before they release the ashes. Also, the group may choose to release the separated ashes together.
• Floating Ceremony: You place the cremation ash in a specially-designed water-soluble urn. The urns can be simple or ornate. As a part of the memorial, you place the urn in the water. The urn floats for several minutes before it begins to sink. 

Often, guests speak kind words or scatter flowers to conclude these ceremonies.

Your Options: Scatter Ashes on the beach

You cannot legally scatter ashes on the beach. Instead, you must schedule a boat to take you more than three nautical miles from the shore. Then, you can follow the regulations stated in the above section. 

Can you scatter ashes on the beach?

No, you must scatter ashes on open water. 

How to Scatter Ashes at the Beach

You must find a boat captain to take you an appropriate distance from the shore. They must abide by the EPA guidelines under the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea. This includes the proper reporting of the burial as noted in the section above.

Selecting Sea Burial Services

As you plan your service, several decisions influence your burial at sea cost. These include:

• Scattering Location
• Service Type such as attended or unattended
• Ceremony format such as a scattering ceremony or a floating ceremony.

You can customize these choices to create a special day. 

How much does it cost to be buried at sea?

The simplicity of a burial at sea ceremony offers an affordable way to say goodbye. 

General costs often include:

• Direct Cremation: $1,500 is the U.S. average according to Parting.com. Many Virginia crematories offer services at a slightly lower rate.
• Memorial or Celebration of Life Cards: Memorial cards or program printing ranges from $0.54 each at Shutterfly to $0.99 each at Walgreens.
• Local Obituary: Announcements may cost between $100 – $800 according to Legacy.com.
• Vessels or Urns: Most of the time, an urn is included in your cost of cremation. However, you may need a water-soluble urn if you choose a floating ceremony. Cost varies by manufacturer with options less than $200.

Unattended Ceremony costs include:

• Postage, packaging, shipping, and handling fees 
• Boat and Captain Reservation 

Attended Ceremony costs include:

• Initial Cremation 
• Travel & Lodging 
• Boat and Captain Reservation

Use an ash scattering service provider to simplify some of these details.

Burial at Sea Ceremony Ideas

With attended burial-at-sea scatterings, a ceremony may be held on the boat during the trip. We’ve collected poems, prayers, and verses to inspire your service. 

Burial at Sea Prayers

You can read these prayers during your ceremony.

Burial at Sea

The Book of Common Prayer (1928) of the Protestant Episcopal Church (Source)

Unto Almighty God, we commend the soul of our brother departed, and we commit his body to the deep; in sure and certain hope of the Resurrection unto eternal life, through our Lord Jesus Christ; at whose coming in glorious majesty to judge the world, the sea shall give up her dead; and the corruptible bodies of those who sleep in him shall be changed, and made like unto his glorious body; according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things unto himself.

Fisherman’s Prayer

Anonymous

God grant that I may live to fish for another shining day. 
But when my final cast is made I then most humbly pray, 
When nestled in your landing net as I lay peacefully asleep, 
You’ll smile and judge that I’m ‘good enough to keep’.”

The Lord’s Prayer 

Matthew 6:9-13, KJV (Source)

Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come;
thy will be done;
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation;
but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
the power and the glory,
forever and ever.
Amen.

Poems to Scatter Ashes at Sea

These poems celebrate the sea as a final resting place.

Burial at Sea

By John Companiotte (Source)

There will I lie, 
Forever with a moving element,
Not sunk in the leaden earth
Missing the sullen music of whales
For a lullaby to soothe my sleep.
Small fish with vermilion scales,
Haloing wide purple faces, will dart
In and out of my long dream
With no disturbance, their colors
Shimmering and enlivening my eyes
Closed to the pink revelry of dawn.
The swell of the shifting current
Will tug at my stuffed shirt, waking 
Me from being human, immersing
My soul in water where first
Life and memory began.

A Fisherman’s Prayer

By Jeannette Hoppes (Source)

God grant me a little more time
To pick up my rod, and cast my line.
Work and worry disappear
When I pick up my fishing gear.
With boat on trailer, I will go
Anywhere the fishing’s not too slow.
Work just doesn’t seem so fine
When I see what’s at the end of my fishing line.
When I am feeble, old and grey
Please don’t take my pole away.
When the Pearly Gates open wide
Please find this old fisherman, one good lake inside!

Burial at Sea

Mrs. L.H. Sigourney (Source)

Down to the unfathom’d realms,
Where hidden fountains flow,
Alone, his silent couch to find,
The child of earth must go.
For him no funeral bell
May weeping friends convene,
Nor dust, to kindred dust be laid
Within the church-yard green.
Farewell! one heavy plunge!
One cleft in ocean’s floor!

Bible Verses for Ocean Burial

Celebrating faith, these verses remember the hope of heaven.

Psalm 107:23-24 (ESV)

“Some went down to the sea in ships, doing business on the great waters; they saw the deeds of the Lord, his wondrous works in the deep.”

Matthew 5:4 (ESV)

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

Psalm 46: 1-3 (ESV)

“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah.”

Scatter Ashes at Sea

Choosing a service that follows the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea will simplify your planning process. Then, you can enjoy a beautiful service that reflects on the life of your loved one. At Rest Ashured, our scattering locations include the Outer Banks, North Carolina, Topsail Island, North Carolina, and Virginia Beach, Virginia. We offer both attended and unattended burial at sea options. 

If you choose an attended ceremony, we will connect you with a boat captain. He’ll work with you to pick your special day. On your scheduled day,  you will meet him at the boat slip to begin your ceremony. 

If you choose an unattended ceremony, the boat captain will set a time to respectfully scatter your loved one’s remains. We will inform you on the day of release. Most of the time, this is within 30 days. 
We make the process as smooth as possible. Please get in touch with us by calling 434-534-4007 or emailing us info@restashured.com.

If your loved one enjoyed the sea, you might consider scattering their ashes at the shore. You may be wondering, “Can you spread ashes in the ocean?” 

Yes, you can. There are several meaningful options to scatter ashes in the sea. However, you must follow specific guidelines for each type of ceremony.

Table of Contents

Plan an Ocean Burial
How Do I Request a Burial at Sea?
Your Options: Scattering Ashes at Sea
Your Options: Scattering Ashes on the Beach

There are two common misconceptions about Burial at Sea. First, many people assume you can simply scatter ashes on the beach or in the ocean. However, the EPA regulates burial at sea. You must follow their specific guidelines. 

Second, people think it only applies to members of the United States Navy. While you must meet certain requirements for a free military burial at sea, anyone can hold a private ceremony. You just need to follow the EPA’s guidelines. 

Anyone can plan a burial at sea ceremony. First, determine whether you qualify for a military ceremony or if you must conduct a private ceremony. Then, you can review your options for scattering ashes at sea. 

Plan an Ocean Burial

By definition, burial at sea includes any disposal of human remains in the ocean. Many people think of military funeral services conducted by the United States Navy. However, there are private options available to civilians. 

How Do I Request a Burial at Sea?

There are two ways to request a burial at sea. If you qualify for a Navy burial at sea, you must contact the Veterans Affairs Office. If you are interested in a private ceremony, you can contact a company that provides these services. 

Q: Who qualifies for burial at sea?

Anyone can be buried at sea. There are two ways people can be buried at sea: military services or private services. 

Navy Burial at Sea

In the US, people eligible for a free Navy burial at sea are:

• Active-duty members of the uniformed services
• Retirees and honorably discharged veterans
• Military Sealift Command U.S. civilian marine personnel
• Family members of the above

For more information, please contact the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs.

Service Format

To begin, the officer of the deck calls All hands bury the dead. They stop the ship and lower the ship’s flags to half-mast. Then, the ship’s crew assemble on the deck. They stand in parade rest at the beginning of the ceremony. Next, they cover the coffin with an American flag which is carried feet first on deck. Then, they place the casket on a stand, with the feet overboard. For cremated remains, the urn is brought on deck and placed on a stand.

A Navy chaplain or a commanding officer conducts the religious portion of the ceremony. Typically, they read scripture and say a prayer. 

Next, they order the firing party with “Firing party, present arms”. The casket bearers tilt the platform with the casket. The casket slides off the platform into the ocean and the draped flag remains on board. 

For cremated remains, they may bury the remains similarly using the urn. Some choose to scatter the ashes into the wind.

Finally, the firing party fires a three volley salute and the bugler plays Taps. The ceremony ends when they fold the flag. 

Afterward, the deceased relatives are informed of the time and location of the burial.

Civilian or Private Burial at Sea

If you do not qualify for the Navy Burial at Sea, you may plan a private burial at sea service. These can be performed by ship or aircraft. Cremated ashes are the most common form of burial. They can be scattered on the water or floated using a biodegradable urn. There are even some people who have chosen to mix ashes in concrete and have them added to an artificial reef such as the Atlantis Reef. 

Service Format

Most people choose between a scattering ceremony and a floating ceremony. 

In a scattering ceremony, the family takes an active part in scattering the ashes of their loved one. You can designate a single person to release the ashes. In other ceremonies, guests will take a portion of the ashes to scatter. Guests may choose to share something before they release the ashes. Also, the group may choose to release the separated ashes together instead.

Often, people light candles or cast flowers along with the ashes. This gives the family a beautiful memory as they finish their ceremony.

In a floating ceremony, you place the cremation ash in a specially designed water-soluble urn. The urns can be simple or ornate, according to your taste.

After, or as a part of, the memorial, you place the urn in the water. The urn floats for several minutes before it begins to sink. To conclude the ceremony, guests can toss live flowers, petals, or wreaths into the water.

Q: Can I be buried at sea?

Anyone can be buried at sea. It’s a beautiful way to celebrate fisherman, boaters, or even beach lovers. 

Your Options: Scattering Ashes at Sea

There are legal guidelines to follow for scattering ashes at sea. The EPA needs documentation of your burial at sea service. We recommend working with an ash scattering service company. This frees you to focus on the ceremony with your family and friends.

Can You Spread Ashes in the Ocean?

To scatter ashes in the ocean, you must follow EPA regulations. These guidelines include limits to where you can scatter ashes and how to properly report the burial.

How to Scatter Ashes at Sea

According to the EPA, cremated remains must be buried in or on ocean waters of any depth. This burial must be at least three nautical miles from land. You may use flowers or wreaths that are readily decomposable in the marine environment. This excludes plastic flowers and synthetic wreaths.

Within 30 days following your event, you must notify EPA. All burials at sea conducted under the MPRSA general permit must be reported to the EPA Region from which the vessel carrying the remains departed.

Procedure From EPA.gov: 

“A burial at sea of non-cremated and cremated human remains may be reported to EPA using the Burial at Sea Reporting Tool. The Burial at Sea Reporting Tool enables individuals or companies that have conducted a burial at sea to enter information into a simple online form and report the burial directly to EPA. For information about the Burial at Sea Reporting Tool including instructions for reporting one or multiple burials at sea, please see the Burial at Sea Reporting Tool Fact Sheet. Please note that you do not need to submit documentation, such as a Certificate of Death, to EPA when reporting a burial at sea.

To report a burial of human remains by other means, please contact the EPA Region where the vessel carrying the remains departed. To identify the appropriate EPA Regional contact, please see EPA’s Regional Offices Contact List.”

Restrictions From EPA.gov:

“The following activity is not allowed under the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea:

• Burying human remains in ocean waters within three nautical miles from shore, i.e., the ordinary low water mark or a closing line drawn on nautical charts across the openings of bays and rivers.
• Burial of non-human remains (such as pet remains).
• Placement of materials which are not readily decomposable in the marine environment, such as plastic or metal flowers and wreaths, tombs, tombstones, gravestones, monuments, mausoleums, artificial reefs, etc.

Any such activity would require an application for an MPRSA special permit.”

Your Options: Scatter Ashes at the Beach

Although you may be fond of a particular pier or dune, you cannot legally scatter ashes on the beach. You must secure a boat to take you out more than three nautical miles from the shore. Then, you can follow the regulations stated in the above section. 

Can you scatter ashes on the beach?

No, you must scatter ashes on ocean water. While you can’t scatter ashes directly on the beach, you can take them onto a boat and scatter them on the open water. These ceremonies create a lovely tribute to someone who loved the ocean. 

How to scatter ashes at the beach

If you want to scatter ashes at the beach, you must secure a boat captain to take you out to open water at the appropriate distance from the shore. They must abide by the EPA guidelines under the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea. This includes the proper reporting of the burial as noted in the section above.

Scattering Ashes at Sea

Can you spread ashes in the ocean? Yes! You can plan a beautiful service that reflects on the life of your loved one. 

We recommend choosing a service that follows the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea. Our scattering locations include the Outer Banks, North Carolina, Topsail Island, North Carolina, and Virginia Beach, Virginia.  At Rest Ashured, we offer both attended and unattended burial at sea options. 

Attended Ceremony

We will put you in direct contact with a boat captain to schedule the special day and time. On your scheduled day,  you will meet him at the boat slip to begin your time on the water. 

Unattended Ceremony

The boat captain will respectfully scatter your loved one’s ashes on your behalf. This is typically done within 30 days. We will inform you on the day of release. 

Can You Spread Ashes in the Ocean?

Yes, you can request a burial at sea for anyone. We’re here to help make that possible and can answer any questions including, “Can You Spread Ashes in the Ocean?” Please get in touch with us. Call 434-534-4007 or email us at info@restashured.com.

If you want to honor a person that loved the ocean, a burial at sea service offers a beautiful way to say goodbye. These services differ from traditional funeral plans in several ways. First, you have to choose a scattering location on a body of water with a burial at sea service that follows the EPA guidelines under the MPRSA general permit for burial at sea. Then, you must decide on the various options that influence your burial at sea cost.

The cost of burial at sea includes the initial cremation, announcements, and the actual ceremony. First, you would ask for direct cremation with no additional services from the funeral home or crematorium. They will provide a simple vessel or urn with your loved one’s ashes. 

Second, you would decide how you would like to announce your loved one’s passing. Most people choose to announce this in several ways. Many place an obituary in the newspaper for friends and family who value traditional announcements. 

Often, people like to create personalized memorial cards that they can mail to relatives and close friends. These can also be used as part of the ceremony program if you decide to have an attended service. They become lovely keepsakes. 

Also, informal social media announcements, such as on Facebook, are a common way to pass along information and allow people to communicate their sympathy. You might do this when you turn their Facebook profile into a memorial profile. 

Finally, you’ll need to select burial at sea services from a company that handles these events. 

Table of Contents

Selecting Burial at Sea Services
General Burial at Sea costs
Unattended Ceremony Costs
Attended Ceremony Costs

These services follow a different process than traditional funeral arrangements. Instead of working with a funeral home from beginning to end, you will take possession of your loved one’s ashes after cremation. Then, you will begin arranging your burial at sea ceremony. 

Because you are scattering ashes, you also have more time to plan the memorial and set the date. Some even choose to delay the service until after they have mourned for a period of time.

You can take your loved one’s ashes onto a boat and scatter them on the open water as long as you abide by the EPA guidelines. We recommend choosing an ash scattering service that operates in compliance with these guidelines. This frees you to focus on your family and friends during the ceremony. 

Selecting Sea Burial Services

As you plan your burial at sea service, you can tailor the ceremony to suit your situation. Several decisions influence your burial at sea cost. These include:

• Scattering Location
• Service Type such as attended or unattended
• Ceremony format such as a scattering ceremony or a floating ceremony.

Each of these choices allows you to customize your ceremony to celebrate the life of your loved one. 

How much does it cost to be buried at sea?

In general, burial at sea is less expensive than a traditional funeral. To begin, the cost of cremation is lower than other funeral home services. Also, the simplicity of a burial at sea ceremony lowers your total expense. 

Burial at Sea costs often include:

• Direct Cremation: $1,500 is the U.S. average according to Parting.com. However, Virginia crematories offer services at a slightly lower rate.
• Memorial or Celebration of Life Cards: Printing memorial cards or programs ranges from $0.54 each at Shutterfly to $0.99 each at Walgreens.
• Local Obituary: Announcements can cost between $100 – $800 according to Legacy.com.
• Vessels or Urns: Typically, an urn is included in your cost of cremation. However, you may need a water-soluble urn if you choose a floating ceremony. For example, The Living Urn offers an Eco Water Urn for $139.

Unattended Ceremony costs include:

• Postage, packaging, shipping, and handling fees 
• Boat and Captain Reservation 

Attended Ceremony costs include:

• Initial Cremation 
• Travel & Lodging 
• Boat and Captain Reservation

If you’d like to simplify the cost of cremation and burial at sea, consider using a service that offers packages to help plan and facilitate your service. 

Our process is simple. For an attended ceremony, we connect you with a boat captain to schedule the day and time for your ash scattering at sea. You will meet him at the boat slip on your scheduled day. 

For an unattended ceremony, the boat captain will schedule a time to respectfully scatter your loved one’s ashes. We will inform you on the day of release. This typically occurs within 30 days.

Our scattering locations include the North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida, and Virginia. 
If you have any questions about how to scatter ashes at the beach, please get in touch with us by calling 434-534-4007 or emailing us info@restashured.com.

It’s hard to try to figure out what you want to do with a beloved pet’s remains when you’re grieving their loss. Often, it feels like it’s easier to just let your veterinarian deal with things, so that you can grieve in peace. However, you have more options than that, and we want to make sure you make the best choice for you and your family.

There are two main options for your pet: burial or cremation.

Burying Your Pet

Burying your pet can be a good option in certain circumstances. If you’re living on property you own, you can bury your pet on your own land. If not, you can bury your pet in a pet cemetery.

Burial in a Pet Cemetery

This is not a viable option for most people. While pet cemeteries offer full services for your animals, they can be cost-prohibitive to many people. At minimum, you’re required to purchase a plot of land and a casket of some sort. Pet cemeteries are also not very common, and can require extensive travel.

Burial On Your Land

If your pet passed away at home, this is often the easiest route. However, this can’t be done on a rental property of any sort, as you can only do this on property that belongs to you. You also should be leery of this if your animal was put to sleep (euthanized), got into any kind of poisonous substance, or had a communicable disease. Other animals can dig up and scavenge the remains, causing them to become ill or even die.

On top of all of this, if you choose to move away from your current property, you will have to leave your beloved pet’s burial site behind.

Cremating Your Pet

The other option is to cremate your pet. Often, your vet can do this once they’ve euthanized your pet. If your pet died at home, many crematories offer services for pets. Once you cremate them, you have to decide what you do with the ashes. In this, you have three options: keeping the ashes, scattering them yourself, or having a scattering service do it for you.

Keeping the Ashes

This is a common option after you have a pet cremated. Often the ashes will be kept in an urn or box in the home. This can bring comfort to some, but others aren’t as comfortable keeping them around the house. It can also be inconvenient if you have young children or other pets who can tip over or break the box or urn.

Scattering The Ashes Yourself

If you own your own property, this can be a good option. However, there are lots of laws associated with disposal of ashes and remains. So if you’re going to attempt this option, ensure that you read up on the laws and regulations in your state.

Have a Scattering Service Handle It

Scattering services like Rest Ashured can scatter your pet’s ashes for you. We mail you a box with everything you need, and you simply follow the instructions and mail it back to us. Then we scatter your pet’s ashes on our gorgeous property in our special scatter garden. We can even place an engraved stone to serve as a permanent memorial to your pet.

There are so many more options for your pet’s remains than most people realize! Make sure that you’re choosing the best option for you and your family.

How different religions practice burials around the world?

No matter how uncomfortable the concept of dying may seem, the reality is that it is an essential and unavoidable element of everybody’s being. Death, as everybody knows, is inevitable and for that reason, it is necessary to plan for it so, that our belongings can be transferred to our loved ones.

Different customs and beliefs around the world have different methods of commemorating this inevitable, sensitive event, and so it is ideal to be informed about how some of the most prominent religions practice rites for the dead around the world.

Christian customs  

Christianity, the most populous religion in the world, generally holds a burial for the dead. For the burial, the body is draped in a suit and laid in a coffin with a cross. There often is also a viewing of the body, where friends and family can pay their last respects to the person.

Bereavement in Judaism

Similar to Christianity, Judaism also typically buries its dead. Jewish law believes that the body does not belong to anybody but to God, and that is why injuring a body is strictly prohibited under the belief. The body is purified by water so as to clean out any bleeding, dirt or dust, and then shrouded by a prayer cloth. People then set the corpse in a coffin and sing Psalms throughout the burial process.

Buddhist burial traditions

While Buddhism believes in burying their dead too, its concept of death is unique from other faiths. They consider decay to the body as natural with the decay of the world. They bury the body after a week and during the process, people chant mantras. These mantras address the circle of life and how the end is inevitable. The body is then lowered into a decorated coffin and then buried.

Islamic funeral rites

Islam also buries its dead. Islam believes that a lifeless body should be buried within a day or two, or it will be dishonored. Most of this has to do with how the religion also believes in life after death. Before burial, the body is purified and covered in white. In some Islamic traditions, people also apply scented and expensive oils, known as attar, on the body.

Hinduism’s last sacrifice

Hinduism is one of the few faiths that incinerate the remains of the dead, rather than cremating them. Hindu tradition believes that a soul can only rest in peace if the ashes are laid down into the Holy Ganges River.

When you know the burial rituals, you can be better prepared for the arrangements. You can choose how you want to be buried, in what type and style of a coffin, or if you prefer cremation and the many choices that exist for storing or scattering cremains.