| What Are The Rules For Decorating Graves And Observing Memorial Day Or Other Holidays? |
| Does A Body Have To Be Embalmed Before It Is Buried? |
| What Are Burial Vaults And Grave Liners? |
| Must I Purchase A Burial Vault? |
| What Is Opening And Closing? |
| What Is A Natural Or Green Burial? |
| What Is A Green Cemetery? |
| What About Cremation? Is It Considered \"green\"? |
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| What Are The Rules For Decorating Graves And Observing Memorial Day Or Other Holidays? |
| You May Decorate Any Grave At Any Time. Decorations Specific To Memorial Day Are Allowed Out Until June 6th. Christmas Wreathes Are Allowed From October 15th Thru March 15th. You Must Use A Vase Or Container Built Into The Base Of Your Marker For Flowers And Plants. Your Decorations Must Be Removed And Vases Turned Down For The Winter By October 15th. Decorations Are Not Permitted On The Ground, Or Away From The Marker. Decorations Displaced By Wind Or Other Factors Will Be Disposed Of By Grounds Staff. |
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| Does A Body Have To Be Embalmed Before It Is Buried? |
| No, Embalming Is Not Required For Burial. It Is Your Choice. It May Depend On Such Factors As Whether The Family Has Selected A Public Viewing With An Open Casket; Or To Enhance The Deceaseds Appearance For A Private Family Viewing; Public Health Laws May Require Embalming If The Body Is Going To Be Transported By Air Or Rail, Or Because Of The Length Of Time Elapsed From The Time Of Death Prior To The Burial. |
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| What Are Burial Vaults And Grave Liners? |
| These Are The Outside Containers Into Which The Casket Is Placed. Burial Vaults Are Designed To Protect The Casket And May Be Made Of A Variety Or Combination Of Materials Including Concrete, Stainless Steel, Galvanized Steel, Copper, Bronze, Plastic Or Fiberglass. A Grave Liner Is A Lightweight Version Of A Vault Which Simply Keeps The Grave Surface From Sinking In. |
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| Must I Purchase A Burial Vault? |
| Sunset Memorial Gardens Regulations Require The Use Of A Basic Grave Liner For Maintenance And Safety Purposes. Either A Grave Liner Or A Burial Vault Will Satisfy These Requirements. Some Smaller Rural Or Churchyard Cemeteries Do Not Require Use Of A Container To Surround The Casket In The Grave. |
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| What Is Opening And Closing? |
| Opening And Closing Can Include Up To And Beyond 50 Or More Separate Services Provided By The Cemetery. Typically, The Opening And Closing Fee Includes Administration And Permanent Record Keeping (determining Ownership, Obtaining Permission And The Completion Of Other Documentation Which May Be Required, Entering The Interment Particulars In The Interment Register, Maintaining All Legal Files); Opening And Closing The Grave (locating The Grave And Laying Out The Boundaries, Excavating And Filling The Interment Space); Installation And Removal Of The Lowering Device; Placement And Removal Of Artificial Grass Dressing And Coco-matting At The Grave Site, Leveling, Tamping, Re-grading And Sodding The Grave Site And Leveling And Re-sodding The Grave If The Earth Settles. |
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| What Is A Natural Or Green Burial? |
| In A Purely Natural Or Green Burial, The Body Is Buried, Without Embalming, In A Natural Setting. Any Shroud Or Casket That Is Used Must Be Biodegradable, Nontoxic, And Of Sustainable Material. Traditional Standing Headstones Are Not Permitted. Instead, Flat Rocks, Plants Or Trees May Serve As Grave Markers; Some Cemeteries Use Gps To Mark The Locations Of Gravesites. A "natural Or Green Burial" May Also Simply Mean Burial Without Embalming, In A Biodegradable Casket Without A Vault, When Permitted By A Cemetery. |
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| What Is A Green Cemetery? |
| A Green Cemetery Is A Burial Site That Does Not Permit Vaults, Non-biodegradable Caskets Or Embalming Chemicals. It Uses No Herbicides, Pesticides Or Irrigation For Maintenance Of The Cemetery Grounds. Any Material Used At A Green Cemetery Must Meet The Goal Of Replenishing The Earth. There Are Cemeteries In The U.s. That Accommodate Both Conventional Burial Practices And Vaultless Burial On Their Premises; Others Incorporate Some Features Of A Green Cemetery Such As Sustainable Landscape Design And Natural Memorialization. |
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| What About Cremation? Is It Considered \"green\"? |
| In General, Cremation Is Not Considered \"green\" Because The Cremation Process Uses Nonrenewable Fossil Fuels, Even Though Cremation Does Use Fewer Resources Than Conventional Forms Of Disposition. Cremation Also Produces Airborne Emissions. However, Cremated Remains Do Not Need To Be Interred In A Cemetery, Which Reduces Land Use. |
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