Rethinking Death in America

November 2, 2018

(U.S. News & World Report) – It’s a generational shift that in many cases flatly rejects convention and tradition and embraces a new conception of the rite: Much like weddings have opted toward personalization of vows, locations and officiants, funerals are defying convention and reflecting profound changes in beliefs, both cultural and religious. And it’s projected to accelerate. Just a few decades ago, in 1960, statistics from the Cremation Association of North America showed that less than 4 percent of people opted for cremation amid social stigmas often involving religion. But just 15 years from now, some 80 percent of people in the U.S. are expected to choose the method, according to projections from the National Funeral Directors Association.