What Are Cremains?

Keep reading to learn all about cremains and what you can do with them after a loved one’s cremation service in Allenwood, PA.

To begin, cremains is the bone fragments left over after a body has gone through the cremation process. The term “cremains” is a portmanteau, meaning it’s a blending of words to create a new, more succinct one. In this case, the word “cremains” is a blend of “cremated” and “remains.” While cremains is often called ashes, that’s technically incorrect as they are really a mixture of dry calcium phosphates with various minor minerals such as salts of sodium and potassium or, in other words, dry bone particles. Since cremations occur at temperatures above 1600° F, any substance that would make true ash is incinerated. However, it makes sense that cremains is mistaken for ash because after the cremains are passed through a grinder, they do greatly resemble ash.

The exact amount of cremains that remains after a body is cremated depends on the body’s size, weight, and body type as well as factors such as the crematorium’s process and equipment. However, the variation in the amount of cremains is very slight. That is why most cremation urns are generally about the same size, though you can find them in different dimensions by length, weight, and depth as well as by interior capacity.

But what do you do with cremains? Whether you’re planning ahead for your own final arrangements or need some help figuring out what to do after a loved one has been recently cremated, here are some ideas for what to do with cremains.

You can use a cremation urn. While most cremation providers return the cremains to the family in a simple box or container, many choose to purchase a cremation urn to house the cremains permanently or before they’re interned. There are many different kinds of cremation urns in all different shapes, sizes, decorations, and even colors.

A popular option for the cremains is to scatter them. Cremains can be scattered in a park, yard, or forest, at sea, in a special garden, or anywhere else. Internment is a fancy word for being laid to rest. Internment of cremains can be either burial or placement in a columbarium niche. Some families choose to bury a loved one’s cremains in the family burial plot, while others bury the cremains at home in their yards. Columbaria are buildings or rooms with niches that store cremated remains. They can be indoors or out, and often include large numbers of cremation urns to save space.

A unique way to memorialize your lost loved one is to turn their cremains into some kind of decoration. Some people choose to mix the cremains into the glass to create beautiful art, while others have the cremains mixed into metals or placed into lockets to make cremation jewelry.

Do have more questions? We are here to help if you’d like to learn more about cremains, internment, or Allenwood, PA cremation services. Call or visit us today for more information.