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<\/p>\nAs West European societies become more diverse, public spaces and services need to evolve to reflect diverse needs of citizens. One such example is funerary services, including public cemeteries and crematoria.<\/p>\n
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Three parallel funerals trends are particularly evident in West European funerals: firstly, a wider range of religious beliefs and practices; secondly, increased secularization; and thirdly, widespread adoption of cremation in many countries (in 2021, cremation accounted for 78% of all funerals in the UK<\/a>).<\/p>\n While cremation is favoured by the majority of the population, including Hindus and Sikhs, burial is a requirement for other religious groups such as those of the Baha\u2019i, Jewish and Muslim faiths, and is a strong preference for others, including most Orthodox and Roman Catholic Christians. Moreover, these faith groups typically seek perpetual grave rights \u2013 that is, assurance their graves won\u2019t be disturbed.<\/p>\n These different cemetery and crematorium needs and the importance of having particular rituals \u2013 or none \u2013 are outlined in this short animation ‘Why are there different funeral rituals?’.<\/p>\nWhy are there different funeral rituals?<\/h3>\n