Corona Daily 161: A Bright Orange Label 139

Christians, Muslims and Jews generally bury their dead, Hindus and Buddhists cremate them. A rumour says the resurrection of Jesus Christ provoked burials, with every Christian hoping to emulate the feat of Jesus. A more likely explanation is a practical one. When space for the living is limited, they can’t keep sharing it with coffins and tombstones. In China, since 2016, “vertical” burials are encouraged to save space. No Resting In Peace, I don’t think. Indian churches usually shift the bones to a pit after 2-3 years to make space. An Indian court has recommended building multi-story graveyards. In the pandemic, since March 2020, Sri Lanka forced Muslims and Christians to cremate. WHO has clarified burials of virus positive bodies don’t really pose a risk. After domestic outrage and international criticism, Sri Lanka amended the law last week to allow burials.

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In the USA, many families are dispersed. Some have attended funerals on zoom, memorial services have been delayed or cancelled. In 2020, more than 3.2 million Americans died, an all-time record. Unusually, more than half were cremated. (In 1960, only 4% were cremated).  

USPS, the official federal service is the only post allowed to send the “cremated remains”. The box carries a bright orange sticker, with Label 139 printed on it. Label 139 increases visibility during processing and transportation. A sealable plastic bag, bubble wrap and cardboard box is the special kit for human ashes. Sent by priority express mail, it requires a signature before the box is handed over. It would be too cruel to come back home, and find cremated remains in the post-box.

Though it is ‘priority express’ mail, Americans are facing inordinate delays. The USPS website warns about delays because of the sheer volume. One Charlotte man lost his mother in September. This was followed by lockdowns and winter storms. Then he lost his mother again, when the post misplaced the box. He finally received it a week ago. In some cases, people have received wrong boxes. Apparently, after cremation due to its high temperature burning, DNA testing can’t tell whose ashes are in the box. At an additional cost, one can ask for a witness cremation, where the tag and the loved one are identified before going to the cremation chamber.

Stan Reese, 56, has started a new business called “Eternal Alaska”. He personally collects ashes, and hand carries them to scenic places. On a video call, he scatters them for the relatives to see.

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Finances play a role. Casket and a cemetery plot are prohibitively expensive for many. Cost of dying keeps going up as well. An average funeral in the USA costs $9000. After housing and car, death care services are said to be the third costliest expense in life (or afterlife). Funeral poverty is a term increasingly used in pandemic times. The US government has set aside $2 billion to help with funeral costs. It promises to reimburse up to $7000.

Cremation, on the other hand, is simple and inexpensive. Unlike a buried body, ashes are portable (can be sent by post), divisible, and easily scattered.

American people who were married a few times, often request to divide their ashes and give equal share to each spouse. (When the spouses die, in ash form, they can be united with each of them). Parents’ ashes are usually divided when given to children.

Many cities have created scattering gardens. In particular, ashes are scattered in the garden which was the favorite of the departed soul. Boat owners ferry families three miles off shore (requirement of the environment protection agency) in case they wish to immerse ashes in a river or sea. In view of the shift to cremations, cemeteries are now planning to build more columbarium, structures with individual niches for a person’s ashes. Designers are developing new urns made of classic Carrara marble boxes or other custom-made designs.

With the post office delivering cremated remains (called cremains), the cremation stigma doesn’t exist any more. The shape of the post-pandemic world for the living is hard to predict. For the dead, though, it looks like cremation would become the first choice.

Ravi