{"id":781,"date":"2026-05-27T15:04:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:04:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=781"},"modified":"2026-05-27T15:04:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-27T15:04:18","slug":"more-americans-are-choosing-cremation-and-celebrations-of-life-over-traditional-funerals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=781","title":{"rendered":"More Americans are choosing cremation and ‘celebrations of life’ over traditional funerals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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PHOENIX \u2014 Funeral directors are noticing a cultural shift in how families choose to honor their loved ones \u2014 and for many, that now includes laughter, bright colors, favorite candy, and even a toast.<\/p>\n

Read more One person dead, two others seriously hurt after crash in north Phoenix<\/a><\/p>\n

Elisa Krcileck of Mountain View Funeral Home said she has watched the change unfold over the years.<\/p>\n

“It’s okay to tell a eulogy that includes an opportunity for people to smile or chuckle or even outright laugh, because that’s who that person was,” Krcileck said.<\/p>\n

Recent data from the National Funeral Directors Association shows nearly two-thirds of funerals are expected to be cremations, while about 1 in 3 will be burials.<\/p>\n

By 2045, more than 8 in 10 Americans are expected to choose cremation. The NFDA notes cremation can also be less expensive than traditional burial.<\/p>\n

Beyond cost, Krcileck said funerals have become more of an uplifting celebration of someone’s life.<\/p>\n

Families are wearing bright colors because it was a loved one’s favorite, sharing their favorite candy with guests, playing music that may not be traditionally funeral-appropriate, and raising a glass for guests over 21.<\/p>\n

Read more Beautiful yard without the big bill: How to save on your outdoor space<\/a><\/p>\n

However, she noted that some forms of tribute may need to take place away from the cemetery, like smoking anything.<\/p>\n

“Our culture, even though the state of Arizona is legal, we are not,” Krcileck said.<\/p>\n

Krcileck, who said she has wanted to be a funeral director since she was 12 years old, said the goal is to help families remember \u2014 not just mourn.<\/p>\n

“We don’t have funerals because somebody died, we have funerals because somebody lived,” Krcileck said.<\/p>\n

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.<\/i><\/p>\n

Read more Delivering Dreams Arizona needs volunteers at Phoenix thrift boutique<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Funeral directors are noticing a cultural shift in how families choose to honor their loved ones \u2014 and for many, that now includes laughter, bright colors, favorite candy, and even a toast.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":780,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-781","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-local-news"],"yoast_head":"\nMore Americans are choosing cremation and 'celebrations of life' over traditional funerals - Arizona Moving Insider<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/arizonamovinginsider.com\/?p=781\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"More Americans are choosing cremation and 'celebrations of life' over traditional funerals - 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