Cremations

As a new millennium begins, many people are choosing to return to a custom as old as the earliest recorded history. Cremation dates back to the Stone Age when it was practiced in Europe and the Near East. By the time of the Roman Empire -- 27 B.C. to 395 A.D.



Cremation was widely practiced, and cremated remains were generally stored in elaborate urns, according to the Cremation Association of North America.

While, cremations are more common in Western Europe and Japan than in North America, the number of people in the United States and Canada selecting cremation has risen significantly during the past few years.