Keeping ashes in the home can be a comforting and meaningful way to still feel connected to a loved one for many people. The key point to remember is that you decide what feels right for you; there is no right or wrong way to grieve.
There's nothing wrong with keeping cremated remains at home – but because our beliefs about these remains are different, some people may look at it as inappropriate.
However, it's important to remember that the Bible does not explicitly prohibit or endorse cremation or the keeping of ashes. Ultimately, the decision of what to do with the ashes of a loved one is a personal one, and should be made based on what feels right for the family.
When it comes to the question of whether or not it is illegal to scatter ashes, there are very few official laws in place. While you should always request permission before scattering ashes on private property, there are no laws about where or how ashes should be scattered on public property.
For many people, the act of scattering a loved one's ashes brings peace and closure. It can symbolize the return of the individual to nature, or the release of their spirit to heaven.
There are no set implications of keeping ashes in the house. By keeping ashes in the house, you will be allowing the psychic connection between the deceased loved one and the remaining family members to continue, which often helps grieving families come to terms with their loss.
Traditionally, ashes are either scattered in a garden of remembrance or a place of significance to the deceased, or taken home in an urn and placed on a mantelpiece. And while many people still choose to do this, it's by no means the only option available.
If you give no instructions regarding the ashes, or do not collect them as agreed, then the cremation authority becomes responsible for interring or scattering the ashes. If this happens the crematorium must make reasonable attempts to get in touch with you, giving you 14 days' notice of their plans.
During the process of cremation, the body's remaining energy is converted into heat energy, which is then distributed into the atmosphere. What little energy remains in the ashes is, again, “rest” or dormant energy.
Cremation occurs at such a hot temperature all micro-organisms are destroyed, and the remaining ashes are inert. After cremation there are no public health risks associated with handling ashes.
You certainly can! There are several regulations governing ash spreading, but none governing ash division. Following a loved one's cremation, some families prefer to split the ashes.
There's nothing bad about keeping cremated remains at home. Even though the practice is legal, those from specific faith communities may object to the practice. Some religious faiths, such as followers of Islam, Eastern Orthodox, and some Jewish sects forbid cremation.
Ashes have no expiry date
You might keep them in your home forever, or you might decide to scatter or bury them at a later date.
A common question that we find in the cremation diamond industry is do ashes have an expiration date? The short answer is they don't; at least not in our lifetime. It would take around one million years for ashes to dissolve since they are made solely of inorganic material.
In addition, with cremation, many families are choosing to divide ashes of a loved one into multiple memorials - with this, you can honor, celebrate, and memorialize a loved one in more than one way!
Your loved one's ashes don't have to stay together either. Families can choose to split the ashes of the deceased among the wider family, where the individual families can choose what they want to do with them.
The actual ashes are thus useless as they will not contain DNA. It is the bones and teeth that could potentially hold some DNA viable for analysis. However, after the cremation, the bones and teeth left behind are turned into a find powder (a process known as pulverization).
What happens to ashes scattered at sea? Human ashes are like sand and they do not float. They will not dissolve in the water; instead, they will descend into the ocean until they hit the floor.
While there is no time limit to how long you can store ashes in your home, you may want to consider having the ashes buried in a cemetery or use them to make a piece of jewelry as a keepsake. You also have the option to scatter the ashes in a desired or meaningful location.
Cremation Urns
However, even in the best conditions heat and moisture will creep in. The only damage this will do is to cause the remains to harden together and "clump" to some extent inside the urn.
In the Bible, there are no passages that prohibit or encourage cremation and scattering of ashes. However, many Christian sects believe a burial funeral aligns with best end-of-life practices.
You can read more about the superstitious aspects of urns and ashes, but with few exceptions in special cases, nothing scary happens when you open an urn. Most likely, it won't even be messy because the ashes should be sealed in a protective plastic bag within the urn.
According to our research, some of the most sought after locations to display urns at home are: On the mantelpiece. On a corner shelf. A closet or drawer provided by the crematorium.
Many people also wonder, “How do you scatter ashes?” Most often you can use the vessel that houses the ashes to toss them into the air. If you are comfortable handling the ashes yourself, you may also reach in with your hands to throw them.