Death Literacy: “Concerns over the rapid rise of Direct Cremations”

September 4, 2026/Business, Cremation, Preneed/

“Death Literacy” is something you may be hearing more about in the days to come. This article from SABR-A Care Collective mentions that “Raising death literacy aims to equip people with the skills not only to help themselves but also to support those within the wider community who might be impacted by death and dying.”

Recently, according to this article in Funeral Service Times (which may have a paywall) a group of “Death Literacy Pioneers” from both the United States and Great Britain met at the funeral establishment Exit Here in London for a summit on the topic. Again, according to the article, “The event brought together experts from the UK and US to discuss how societal approaches to grief, funerals and technology are evolving.”

Participants highlighted that while public interest in death education is growing, translating that interest into advance action remains a persistent challenge.

Here is in quoted responses from the article, what I believe, is a good summarization of what the group concluded:

“The meeting raised concerns regarding the rapid rise of direct cremation, where disposition occurs without a preceding service.
Attendees argued that skipping traditional gatherings can deprive families of important grief rituals, suggesting that cremation should still incorporate community hospitality and tailored ceremonies.”

“We’re also seeing exciting changes in the way people think about funerals and cremation. A funeral doesn’t have to follow a prescribed formula, and cremation doesn’t have to mean skipping the ceremony altogether. Ritual, gathering and remembrance still matter. The challenge is helping people understand the choices they have and encouraging them to talk about those choices before a death occurs.”

Great Britain’s inclusion of “Bereavement Education” in their public school system. Mainly because of the efforts of former National Association of Funeral Directors President (NAFD – Great Britain) John Adams, by the time you read this article the first school year that includes mandatory education in grief and bereavement will be underway in Great Britain. Here’s an article on his efforts to get such a curriculum passed by Parliament.

Tom Anderson
Funeral Director Daily

Funeral Director Daily take: I think “Education” in almost any subject is a good investment. And, I also think we don’t know enough about how the mind and pscychology works. To me, the mind is the next frontier of exploration in human discovery. When I was on the University of Minnesota Board of Regents we had a $1 billion annual budget for research — much of it medical. The university had a great history of discovery and remedies for heart ailments, kidney ailments, cancer ailments, and the like, but like many institutions we had a long way to go to understand things that happen in the human mind — such as grief, depression, and autism.

I vaccilate a little when I hear “funeral professionals” talk about damage or concerns about Direct Cremation. I do understand, that for most people, grief relief is a process and one that probably should not be taken lightly. However, I’m not so sure that we know and understand that gatherings, hospitality, and ritual is universally “always good for everyone”.

My mind is open. . . .but I often wonder when I hear of these types of added service suggestions for better grief care — “Is it truly about helping the survivors or is it about helping Death Care purveyors in bringing in more revenue?”

I also think that question is a perceptional question that many in the general public carry about funeral directors and, if our North Star in the Death Care world is truly about better grief care, we need to enhance our credibility to get those skeptical consumers to believe that.

More news from the world of Death Care: