Help Center | 07.02.2025

What Is an Urn For?

What Is an Urn For?

Reviewed By: Benjamin Cave

Cross Checked By: Joshua Siegel

An urn is a container used to hold a person’s cremated remains after they have been cremated. It serves both practical and emotional purposes, depending on how it’s used.

1. To Hold Ashes After Cremation

Urns are designed to store the ashes (cremated remains) of a loved one. After the cremation process, the funeral home or crematory places the ashes inside the urn.

2. To Memorialize a Loved One

Urns often serve as a lasting tribute. Families may display the urn in their home, a columbarium, or a special memorial space. Some include custom engravings or personal touches to honor the individual.

3. For Burial, Display, or Scattering

Urns are used in many ways depending on family preference:

  • Burial: Placed in the ground, often with a burial vault

  • Display: Kept at home or in a mausoleum niche

  • Scattering: Temporary urns are used to release ashes in a meaningful location

4. For Travel or Transport

Some urns are designed for travel, meeting TSA and airline rules so ashes can be transported safely to another location or country.

Final Answer

An urn is used to hold and honor a loved one’s ashes after cremation. Whether for keeping, burying, or scattering, it plays a key role in memorializing someone who has passed.

Related FAQs

  • Can you keep an urn at home?

Answer: Yes, many families choose to display the urn at home as a personal memorial.

  • Is an urn required after cremation?

Answer: While not legally required, most families use an urn to store ashes safely and respectfully.

  • What types of urns are there?

Answer: Urns come in various types: display urns, burial urns, scattering urns, keepsake urns (small), and biodegradable urns for eco-friendly options.