The practice of reducing a deceased body to ashes through high-temperature burning, typically in a specialized furnace called a crematorium. An alternative to burial as a method of handling human remains.
From Latin 'crematio' from 'cremare' meaning 'to burn.' The practice dates back thousands of years across many cultures, though it was largely forbidden in Christian Europe during medieval times and only regained acceptance in the modern era.
Cremation rates vary dramatically worldwide due to cultural, religious, and practical factors - while nearly universal in some countries like Japan, it remains less common in others due to religious traditions. The process requires temperatures around 1,800°F and typically takes 2-3 hours to complete.
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