Common Cremation Terms That You Might Not Be Familiar With
Tukios Websites • September 14, 2020
Are you going to be planning a cremation service in McAllen, TX
for a loved one for the first time? If you are, you’re likely going to hear a bunch of terms get tossed around that you might not have heard before. It’s a good idea for you to try and learn what these terms mean prior to working with a funeral home to plan your loved one’s cremation. It’ll ensure that you understand what’s happening throughout the planning process and put you in a position to make smart decisions with regard to your loved one’s service. Learn about some of the common cremation terms that you might not be familiar with below. Crematory
You could probably guess the meaning of this particular cremation term, but it’s one you’re going to hear early and often so we feel like we should start things off with it. A crematory is a building in which McAllen, TX cremations are carried out. There are some funeral homes that have their own crematories that they use for cremations, and there are others that rely on third-party companies to carry out their cremations in their crematories. Either way, your loved one is going to have their cremation take place in a crematory. Cremation chamber
Inside of crematories are what are called cremation chambers. These chambers are where a person’s body will actually be cremated during the cremation process. A cremation chamber is heated up to a very high temperature prior to a person’s body being placed into it. From there, the chamber uses this heat, not fire like some people mistakenly believe, to carry out a cremation from beginning to end. A body will usually remain in a cremation chamber for anywhere from two to four hours to complete a cremation. Cremains
At the conclusion of a cremation, the only things that will be left of a person’s body will be bone fragments. These bone fragments will then be taken and put through what is known as the pulverization process. This process involves using special machines to break down a person’s bone fragments into cremated remains. These remains are often referred to as cremains. They look sort of like coarse sand and often weigh somewhere in the four to eight pound range. Cremation urn
Once a person’s body has been reduced down to cremains, their remains can be placed into a container and given back to their family. Some families opt to have the cremains put into a simple container, but others go all out by investing in an urn for their loved one’s remains. There are tons of urns for families to choose from these days, including metal urns, wooden urns, marble urns, and more. They come in so many shapes, sizes, and styles. Columbarium
After a family receives their loved one’s cremains
, they can then do any number of things with them. They can take them home in an urn and display them. They can also bury them in a cemetery. Or they can put them into what is called a columbarium. A columbarium is a building that has a series of niches designed to hold and protect cremation urns. They’ve turned into a popular option for those who don’t want to take their loved one’s remains home with them but also don’t want to bury them in the ground.
If you’re preparing to plan your first cremation service for a loved one
, you need to have an experienced McAllen, TX funeral home like McCaleb Funeral Home by your side. We’ll make sure you understand every aspect of cremation and are familiar with the types of terms we just talked about. Contact us to begin the cremation planning process.
