Funeral industry terms can be overwhelming for a lot of families. It’s not a topic people deal with regularly. Because of this, it’s important that we, as professionals, help guide families through the process and provide education alongside the compassion and service we offer.
Recent information from the National Funeral Directors Association (NFDA) tells us that about three-quarters of Americans have never heard of “direct cremation” before. This type of information void can cause big misunderstandings for people when they are making decisions during emotionally stressful circumstances.
While the 2025 NFDA When Words Matter Study looked at many things, one of the big takeaways was the large misunderstanding or total lack of knowledge around “direct cremation.” Even among the one-quarter of respondents who had heard the term before, there wasn’t a clear understanding of what it actually means.
Simply put, direct cremation means cremation services are performed without any associated funeral or ceremonies at the same time. The Cremation Society of Milwaukee has a helpful article on the topic.
This informative piece on the cremation process from the Cremation Association of North America (CANA) is extremely helpful for educating your families. It breaks down the types of cremation along with the order of the entire process, as well as some technical bits. At the very bottom is a very helpful glossary of terms.
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