Starting in the 1960s, cremation has become more common than burial in several countries where the latter is traditional. This has included the United Kingdom (1968), Canada (early 2000s), the United States (2016) and Finland (2017). Factors cited include cheaper costs (especially a factor after the 2008 recession), growth in secular attitudes and declining opposition in some Christian denominations.[40]
A dead adult Hindu is mourned with a cremation, while a dead child is typically buried.[106][107] The rite of passage is performed in harmony with the Hindu religious view that the microcosm of all living beings is a reflection of a macrocosm of the universe.[108] The soul (Atman, Brahman) is the essence and immortal that is released at the Antyeshti ritual, but both the body and the universe are vehicles and transitory in various schools of Hinduism. They consist of five elements – air, water, fire, earth and space.[108] The last rite of passage returns the body to the five elements and origins.[106][108][109] The roots of this belief are found in the Vedas, for example in the hymns of Rigveda in section 10.16, as follows:
We are the Curry family out of Lakeland, Florida and my dad had made pre-arrangements with National Cremation in Oviedo, Florida years ago. He recently passed rather suddenly so the shock and sadness as to be expected was a big blow to our family. I made the call and decided to schedule a sit down meeting in person so we could grasp all of the details of what we needed to expect and do plus we needed an understanding on how this entire process works. We met with Stephen Barreto on 5/1/17 and I have to say he handled himself and this situation we are going through with amazing compassion, dignity and comfort to my family and we could not thank him enough. After we were completed my elderly mom had to hug him and exchanged kisses on the cheek with him because she dreaded this moment and we left there with complete gratitude and trust and peace. National Cremation certainly picked the right man for this job with a gifted ability to make his clients feel like human beings and not just a job. Thanks Stephen, we won’t forget you!
This funeral home was phenomenal. From the moment we arrived, they welcomed us and joined us in our pain. We were able to ease the pain smoothly with easy service planning. The day of them was VERY attentive. Stephen especially was a great gentleman always making sure if we needed anything. Constantly offering us water or napkins. I HIGHLY recommend this location to everyone. They touch everything with generous love and care and that is the best in such a difficult moment. They share the pain with you and help you along the way with both economic prices and create a comfort zone for you and your family. Thank you so much for your love and support.

What happens if no one pays for your funeral?


In Europe, there are traces of cremation dating to the Early Bronze Age (c. 2000 BCE) in the Pannonian Plain and along the middle Danube. The custom became dominant throughout Bronze Age Europe with the Urnfield culture (from c. 1300 BCE). In the Iron Age, inhumation again becomes more common, but cremation persisted in the Villanovan culture and elsewhere. Homer's account of Patroclus' burial describes cremation with subsequent burial in a tumulus, similar to Urnfield burials, and qualifying as the earliest description of cremation rites. This may be an anachronism, as during Mycenaean times burial was generally preferred, and Homer may have been reflecting the more common use of cremation at the time the Iliad was written, centuries later.
^ Gassmann, Günther; Larson, Duane H.; Oldenburg, Mark W. (4 April 2001). Historical Dictionary of Lutheranism. Scarecrow Press. p. 48. ISBN 9780810866201. Retrieved 22 April 2014. Cremation was unheard of from the time Charlemagne outlawed it (784) until the 17th century. At that point, the practice was urged primarily by those opposed to the church, and for a long time cremation was forbidden by Roman Catholicism and practiced only reluctantly by Protestants. Recently, these strictures have eased, and more and more churches have established columbaria or memorial gardens within their precincts for the reception of the ashes by the faithful.

^ Shimizu, Louise Picon; Maruyama, Meredith Enman; Tsurumaki, Nancy Smith (1998). Japan Health Handbook. Kodansha International. p. 335. ISBN 4-7700-2356-1. Not only is cremation of the body and internment [sic] of the ashes in an urn a long-standing Buddhist practice, it is also a highly practical idea today, given the scarcity of burial space in crowded modern Japan.


With the passing of my mother on January 31, all I really knew was she had pre-paid for her service with National Cremation Society. After making a few calls to various areas, I finally got an answer in their Tampa office who immediately told me that New Smyrna was in the Oviedo area. With one answer of the phone, NCS took over the entire situation with speed and professionalism. Stephen and his entire staff handled everything from pickup to shipment of the remains to Pennsylvania. My wife and I couldn’t be more grateful and are now considering having NCS handle our passing.
At a time in my life when it felt like everything was falling apart, Elizabeth Franco and her staff made me feel welcomed and helped me with a bunch of questions I had that I didn't feel comfortable speaking about with others quite yet. I never hesitated to listen and steer me in a positive direction. My grandfather is going to the National Cemetery in Bushnell and I was filled with useful information on how the process will go. She and her staff are greatly appreciated more than these words can express. Thank you again.
In Europe, a movement to reintroduce cremation as a viable method for body disposal began in the 1870s. This was made possible by the invention of new furnace technology and contact with eastern cultures that practiced it.[15] At the time, many proponents believed in the miasma theory, and that cremation would reduce the "bad air" that caused diseases.[16] These movements were associated with secularism and gained a following in cultural and intellectual circles.[15] In Italy, the movement was associated with anti-clericalism and Freemasonry, whereas these were not major themes of the movement in Britain.[9]
When my mother passed away unexpectedly, my siblings and I were shocked and devastated. She had previously said, "If anything happens to me, look in the hall closet." No one wants to hear or think about that, so the response was always "Nothing is going to happen to you!". Then one day it did. When we went in the closet and found a box with paperwork and an 800 number, the relief was immense. Now we knew, based on a contract signed by her, what her last wishes really were with no second-guessing. A phone call to an 800 number... Read More
At present there are four crematoria in operation at BIRKENAU, two large ones, I and II, and two smaller ones, III and IV. Those of type I and II consist of 3 parts, i.e.,: (A) the furnace room; (B) the large halls; and (C) the gas chamber. A huge chimney rises from the furnace room around which are grouped nine furnaces, each having four openings. Each opening can take three normal corpses at once and after an hour and a half the bodies are completely burned. This corresponds to a daily capacity of about 2,000 bodies... Crematoria III and IV work on nearly the same principle, but their capacity is only half as large. Thus the total capacity of the four cremating and gassing plants at BIRKENAU amounts to about 6,000 daily.[35]

I knew that making funeral arrangements for my husband would be a very painful task, but Stephan Barreto, at National Cremation in Oviedo, Fl., made the experience pain free. His compassion and understanding are to be commended. From start to finish, he was thorough and never made me feel the pain I felt in my heart. Thank you so much...I am so very grateful.


When a friend or loved one dies or death is expected to take place soon, there are many details to take care of. This can be a very stressful time. You are grieving and may have assumed a great responsibility by taking on the task of making funeral arrangements for someone you care about. The following information will make this difficult time easier for you.
We deliver sympathy flowers, funeral sprays and wreaths, memorial plants, and sympathy gift baskets. Our flowers are grown in healthy, ideal conditions, so they remain fresh for at least seven days post-delivery. We work with local florists near you so that your flowers will arrive on time, and we have a gorgeous selection of same day delivery sympathy flowers to choose from.A funeral is often the most difficult day in someone’s life. Showing your support for those who are grieving is a matter not to be taken lightly. FTD’s superior customer service and quality products are sure to help you make a positive impact on those who are coping with loss.    
Contrary to popular belief, the cremated remains are not ashes in the usual sense. After the incineration is completed, the dry bone fragments are swept out of the retort and pulverised by a machine called a Cremulator—essentially a high-capacity, high-speed blender—to process them into "ashes" or "cremated remains",[56][57] although pulverisation may also be performed by hand. This leaves the bone with a fine sand like texture and color, able to be scattered without need for mixing with any foreign matter,[58] though the size of the grain varies depending on the Cremulator used. The mean weight of an adult's remains is 2.4 kg; the mean weight for adult males is about 1 kg higher than that for adult females.[59] There are various types of Cremulators, including rotating devices, grinders, and older models using heavy metal balls.[60] The grinding process typically takes about 20 seconds.
Balinese Hindu dead are generally buried inside the container for a period of time, which may exceed one month or more, so that the cremation ceremony (Ngaben) can occur on an auspicious day in the Balinese-Javanese Calendar system ("Saka"). Additionally, if the departed was a court servant, member of the court or minor noble, the cremation can be postponed up to several years to coincide with the cremation of their Prince. Balinese funerals are very expensive and the body may be interred until the family can afford it or until there is a group funeral planned by the village or family when costs will be less. The purpose of burying the corpse is for the decay process to consume the fluids of the corpse, which allows for an easier, more rapid and more complete cremation.
The ash remaining represents very roughly 3.5% of the body's original mass (2.5% in children). Because the weight of dry bone fragments is so closely connected to skeletal mass, their weight varies greatly from person to person. Because many changes in body composition (such as fat and muscle loss or gain) do not affect the weight of cremated remains, the weight of the remains can be more closely predicted from the person's height and sex (which predicts skeletal weight), than it can be predicted from the person's simple weight.

Debra and the team at the Oviedo, Florida location were the best group of people I have ever had the opportunity to meet. My father preplanned his cremation with The National Cremation Society Oviedo office and when it came time to use the services they were great. I could not have had better service provided with compassion and kindness. All my questions were answered and each time I had to reach out to them I was provided with the utmost professionalism and immediate response. I could not be more pleased with the service and care provided during my family’s great loss of our loved one. Debra and all the Oviedo, Florida staff are simply the very best. Thank you all, Mike B.


There is now a water-based process called alkaline hydrolysis, which was invented as a way to dispose of animals infected with mad cow disease. It is being marketed as a more environmentally friendly postmortem option for humans because it produces less carbon monoxide and pollution. Alkaline hydrolysis involves placing a body in a chamber that is then filled with water and potassium hydroxide and heated up to 300 degrees Fahrenheit at high pressure. After three hours, the body becomes a green-brown-tinted liquid, and bones are soft enough to be crushed. The bones can be returned to the family, while the liquid can be sent into the sewer system.
We are the Curry family out of Lakeland, Florida and my dad had made pre-arrangements with National Cremation in Oviedo, Florida years ago. He recently passed rather suddenly so the shock and sadness as to be expected was a big blow to our family. I made the call and decided to schedule a sit down meeting in person so we could grasp all of the details of what we needed to expect and do plus we needed an understanding on how this entire process works. We met with Stephen Barreto on 5/1/17 and I have to say he handled himself and this situation we are going through with amazing compassion, dignity and comfort to my family and we could not thank him enough. After we were completed my elderly mom had to hug him and exchanged kisses on the cheek with him because she dreaded this moment and we left there with complete gratitude and trust and peace. National Cremation certainly picked the right man for this job with a gifted ability to make his clients feel like human beings and not just a job. Thanks Stephen, we won’t forget you!
Once the cremation process is complete, the remains are put onto what looks like a silver baking tray. A technician runs a magnet over them to remove ferrous materials that did not combust during the cremation process. These often come from a person’s staples, screws, hinges, and prosthetic joints. The technician will then visually inspect and remove any material the magnet missed—say, the bits of glass left behind because someone wanted their father cremated with a bottle of Scotch. Those pieces are disposed of by the crematory.
Our affordable plans have helped 100,000’s of Americans during one of life’s most challenging moments. We are proud to serve in Florida and to offer our families options to pre arrange with us. Florida residents can now make arrangements from the privacy of their home. Our simple 4 step process makes it easy to plan ahead. If at any point you have questions or would like to speak with one of our licensed funeral directors, just call our local office. We are here to help.
Robin Fisher and all the staff at the Oviedo location are consummate professionals who are a credit to their calling. You have taken care of our family for the second time and we cannot press our thanks adequately. Most of my family members are signed up with national Cremation secure in the knowledge that when our time comes they will take care of our families. Mike
We recently loss a family member to a car accident so it was very devastating for all of us. However, we are very thankful to have worked with the National Cremation & Burial Center in Oviedo. Mr. Chris Rhodes who is the director here was very patience in listening to our family's wishes and accommodating them (even the unusual wishes due to our cultural beliefs). We also worked with Mr. Steven who was just as compassionate and helpful. Both Chris and Steven have went out of their way to make this event as painless for our family as possible. Thank... Read More

How long does it take for a body to decompose in a coffin?


Traditionally, Zoroastrianism disavows cremation or burial to preclude pollution of fire or earth. The traditional method of corpse disposal is through ritual exposure in a "Tower of Silence", but both burial and cremation are increasingly popular alternatives. Some contemporary adhererents of the faith have opted for cremation. Parsi-Zoroastrian singer Freddie Mercury of the group Queen was cremated after his death.
How do you want your body to spend eternity? In space, mingling with the stars? Or perhaps as part of a sparkling diamond on someone's finger? Or, if you're looking for something more lively, maybe even nestled among colorful underwater creatures as an artificial coral reef bank? These are just a few of the things people are doing with the cremated remains of their loved ones.

Do they take your organs out when you die?

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