Can you bury someone without embalming?

Direct or immediate burial, without embalming, must be offered by all funeral homes. The body is simply placed in a shroud, casket, or other container, and buried within few days, without visitation or service. Not all funeral homes have refrigeration facilities, but most hospitals do.

What is conventional burial?

In a conventional burial, the body is almost always embalmed and is placed in a casket that is often times rather expensive and made from either metal or precious woods. The casket is then placed into a cement vault which lines the grave. 90,000 tons of steel (caskets)

Is it mandatory to embalm a body?

Embalming is not typically required by law, except in extenuating circumstances. A viewing of the body without embalming is allowed in private for family and friends if desired. In the case of a public viewing, such as in a funeral home, the laws differ between states. Also, some funeral homes do require it.

How long can a body be refrigerated before embalming?

Instead of preparing the body with chemicals, morticians will store it in a fridge that keeps the body at two degrees Celsius. However, like embalming, it’s important to remember that this merely slows the decomposition process – it doesn’t stop it. A refrigerated body will last three to four weeks.

Why are bodies embalmed before burial?

The common practice of embalming has one purpose: it slows the decomposition of a dead body so that a funeral can be delayed for several days and cosmetic work can be done on the corpse. Despite the appearances it creates, it is a violent process, and the corpses still decompose.

What happens if I don’t want to be embalmed?

If you don’t want to be embalmed, there are only a few things that can be done with your corpse after you are dead. Your best bet is to talk to an estate planning attorney and draw up a funeral plan which specifies what you would like done with your body after you die.

Are organs removed during embalming?

The pathologist removes the internal organs in order to inspect them. The organs will be placed in plastic bags before being placed back in the body, which is then sewn closed. Since the organs were preserved and placed in plastic, no additional cavity embalming is needed.

How long can an embalmed body last before burial?

Embalming techniques will preserve a body for about a week. In cases where the family needs at least one day to notify all the relatives, embalming should be the first priority. It is important to note is that this process does not stop the decomposition, rather just slows it down.