Cremation is displacing traditional burials, but why?

The days when most Americans chose a casket and traditional graveside burial for their funeral are over.

Cremation became the top choice in 2015 and has been gaining popularity ever since.

According to statistics from the National Funeral Directors Association, or NFDA, more than half of Americans who will die this year will be cremated. In 20 years, the association predicts that nearly 80% of us will choose to turn our bodies into ashes.

What happened to change the centuries-old tradition of burial?

"Cost is a driving factor," says Mike Nicodemus, licensed funeral director and NFDA vice president of cremation services. "Another factor is the decrease in religious restrictions, as well as the very fast-paced world we live in today."

The push for cremation

The cost of funerals continues to rise, as do the prices of funeral plots and extras that many people are unaware of. For example, some cemeteries may require lining the grave or charge huge sums just to open the ground for burial.

In 2016, according to NFDA statistics, the median cost of a funeral was about $8,000; caskets alone cost between $2,000 and $10,000. And prices continue to rise.

According to the same statistics, the cost of a direct cremation in 2016 was $2,400.

In addition, families today often live in different parts of the United States, Nicodemus said, making it difficult to organize a timely funeral. It is much easier, he says, to cremate the remains and move them for later memorialization.

On the religious side, the Vatican has loosened the rules on cremation since the 1960s. Today, practicing Catholics are allowed to choose cremation, but the Church still requires the ceremony and burial of the ashes rather than scattering them.

Changes in general religious attitudes have also contributed to this trend. Fewer people today consider themselves religious than in the past, reducing the need for traditional church funerals.

Today, many funeral homes act as "event planners" for both memorial services and funerals, Nicodemus says, offering a variety of options and handling much of the organizational work.

"Bring pictures. Bring your father's favorite music. Tell me who you think would be a good friend of your father's who would like to stand up and say a few words," Nicodemus said. "Bring us your ideas and we'll share ours with you."

According to Nicodemus, as more baby boomers visited these memorials, their attitudes changed.

"They have family and friends who have passed away and they liked what they saw at the memorial service," he says. "Then they tell their family, 'I don't want all this funeral stuff. Just cremate me and have a simple service.'" "

Given the sheer number of baby boomers, Nicodemus says, these changing attitudes are another important reason for the cultural shift in burial preferences, which he doesn't think will change anytime soon.

"Make no mistake, cremation will remain," Nicodemus says. "It's the new normal."

Creative ways to honor ashes, on the other hand, may not be quite so common.

"Baby boomers are not going to do what their grandparents did, what their parents did. They're going to do what they're going to do themselves," says Nicodemus.

Memorial art and souvenirs

Doing something memorable and lasting with the cremated ashes of a loved one is paramount for many people, including baby boomers and their families. A growing number of companies offer many original options from which to choose.

Memorial tattoos are a growing trend where tattoo artists mix ashes with ink and create a memorial marker on a loved one's skin. If skin isn't your thing, you can mix ashes with ink and make a portrait.

With jewelry, it's simple: you can place pieces of your ashes in small containers that are worn around your neck. You can also place your ashes in a glass memorial.

Don't forget the little members of the family: Some people place their ashes in soft animals that can be cuddled.

Do you love music? Become a vinyl record for your loved ones to enjoy. One UK company that provides such a service says you can "record a personal message, last will and testament, your own soundtrack or just press ashes to hear pops and crackles for a minimal approach."

Don't forget your cremated remains will play at your memorial (or they can throw a party for as little as 10,000 pounds, or about $13,135).

"Baby, you're a firecracker."

Some people take Katy Perry's anthem literally, letting the colors of her remains flash as they streak across the sky.

"I saw it; the son sent me pictures," Nicodemus said. "The man's father raised money for the annual Fourth of July fireworks display in his town in Kansas. When he died, there was no one to carry on the tradition, but his family raised enough money to put on one last display. Sunset came, the fireworks went off, and that's when the father showed up."

Many companies advertise specially designed professional fireworks, but there are also fireworks and rockets that can be launched at home.

A more ethereal experience can be arranged: You can send your ashes into space. The rockets are real, vendors say, and there are options that can send you into orbit around Earth ($5,000), to the moon ($12,500) or even to a galaxy far, far away ($12,500). The ashes of actor James Doohan, who played Scotty in the original Star Trek TV show and subsequent films, have traveled to the International Space Station.

Want to just leave the Earth's atmosphere and then come back? It only costs $1,300.

To become one with the sea

Another alternative that is becoming increasingly popular is the creation of a man-made memorial reef, Nicodemus said.

Cremated ashes are mixed with concrete and poured into molds, which are then placed in designated memorial reef sites along the coasts of Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New Jersey, Texas and the Coronado Islands near the U.S.-Mexico border.

According to US Funerals Online, a funeral home directory website, the cost of a memorial reef ranges from $2,400 to $6,995. If that's too expensive, for about $600, you can place ashes in a smaller reef ball that can be kept at home in an aquarium or water feature.

Or, without spending too much money, you can have loved ones scatter your ashes on the beach.