There is a lot of fake news circulating about funeral homes and cemeteries. These myths can have a negative effect on bereaved as they search for the right cemetery in Huntersville, NC, or make important funeral planning decisions.

Rather than just believing everything you hear, get to the truth of the matter so you can be prepared when planning after a recent loss or preplanning for your eventual passing. The following list of funeral home and cemetery myths and their truths will help shed some light on common misconceptions so you can know the truth about funeral homes:

• A high-quality casket and vault will preserve remains forever. Caskets and vaults that are well made with durable construction and high-tech seals help keep water and dirt out, but they will never stop decomposition entirely.
• Cemeteries are sad, depressing places. While this may have been true in the past, funeral homes and cemeteries have changed a lot. Funerals themselves can be very joyous occasions as loved ones celebrate the deceased’s life. In a typical modern funeral, laughter and music coexist with tears and ritual.
• Funeral directors only want to make money. Like any other professional in customer services, from doctors to florists, funeral directors do charge for their services but strive to make those services worthwhile. There are some funeral directors who are “bad apples” but they are few and far between.
• Funeral home and cemetery products like caskets and cremation urns have to be bought from the funeral home. There’s actually a law that prohibits that! The Federal Trade Commission’s 1984 Funeral Rule protects consumer’s right to purchase funeral products from any source.
• Funerals and cemeteries are expensive. You can spend as little or as much as you like when planning a funeral. Services vary in cost depending on location.
• Cremation is the only environmentally friendly alternative to burial. While cremation can be greener than burial, that’s not always the case. There are also lots of other green alternatives out there, and you can choose to have a green burial where there are no embalming fluids, chemicals or unnatural casket materials.
• There are strict laws governing the disposition of cremated remains. Laws about cremated remains vary greatly from state to state, but they only deal with burial or scattering. Some states have regulations on where ashes can be scattered, but there are no federal laws. Be sure to double-check your state’s laws before scattering remains.
• The law requires embalming. The law does not require embalming in most situations. There are some circumstances that vary by state in which embalming is required. However, these are rare.
  
• The law requires burial vaults. Some cemeteries require burial vaults, but there are no laws that require them. Check with your cemetery to make sure you understand their requirements before the funeral.

Gethsemane Cemetery and Memorial Garden is here to help if you want to learn more about Huntersville, NC cemeteries. Please stop by and visit us or give us a call for more information on what we can do for you in your time of loss or of preplanning.