Our Monthly Tip: Invite Friends And Family To Scatter Ashes

Our Tip of the Month
Consider giving funeral guests the opportunity to participate in the scattering of cremated remains. By inviting guests to scatter ashes, you make the service participatory in a new way. Sharing in the experience can be healing for everyone. It is both a physical and symbolic act of letting go. The ritual of ash scattering provides mourners an experience-based connection to the person who has died. When more people engage in the physical act of holding and releasing the ashes, the ritual becomes more communal.

How-To Suggestions
You might offer each guest a small, unique shell or other small receptacle containing some of the cremation ashes, so everyone is able to join in the scattering. The shell can become a memorial keepsake that guests can take home with them. Biodegradable urns are also a good option, but keepsake urns can make nice tokens of remembrance for guests. Make sure to identify which way the wind is blowing so you don’t end up with ashes blowing back into your face, and check state laws before scattering the ashes in a public area.

It is legal to scatter ashes in most national parks in the United States. Just be sure to check for any rules and requirements set by the park. It is also legal to scatter ashes at sea if you are at least three nautical miles from shore. State and local parks typically do not fall under federal law, so you’ll have to check state laws and park rules for the particular park.