Is It Bad Luck to Keep Ashes at Home?

Losing a loved one is, without a doubt, a difficult moment that not many plan for or put a lot of thought into until the moment arises. For many who have experienced loss, they may have chosen cremation as their preferred method of caring for the body. Once the cremation is complete, the ashes are handed over to the family to decide what to do with them.

Family is considered the strongest bond in the world for many people and they wish to honor this belief by having the ashes of those passed forever watching over them in their homes. By having the ashes in the home in a beautifully designed urn, the family will always feel as if the deceased's soul is still with them, making it easier for future family members to pay their respects and pass down memorable stories.

Is Cremation the End of Your Relationship With a Loved One?

Cremation is most definitely not the end of one's relationship with a passed family member. It is, in fact, quite the opposite. By having a passed family member cremated, it opens up many avenues which can all signify the pillars of permanence, respect, and the feeling of closeness. Keeping the ashes of a loved one allows the family to never feel like the individual has fully left.

Why Do People Think It’s Bad Luck to Keep Ashes at Home?

Certain cultures and religions have embedded the thought that keeping ashes in one's home can bring about bad luck. This may still be the case for many superstitious individuals; but for most, keeping ashes at home is a normal and quite common thing.

The main reason people think it's bad luck to keep ashes at home stems from an ancient ruling made by the Vatican which forbade Catholics from keeping ashes in their homes. Catholics are allowed to cremate their family members and bury the ashes according to the Vatican's rules or put them in a mausoleum, but they are not allowed to scatter or keep the ashes. This is still very common amongst Catholics to date.

Are There Any Implications of Keeping Ashes in the House?

There are no set implications of keeping ashes in the house. By keeping ashes in the house, you will be allowing the psychic connection between the deceased loved one and the remaining family members to continue, which often helps grieving families come to terms with their loss. The feeling that the deceased is still with them in the house brings about feelings of comfort and a sense of security—some people have explained that they can sense the energy of their loved one in the house with them. Regardless, at the end of the day, it comes down to personal preferences and beliefs.

What Is the Right Thing to Do With Ashes?

If one of the deceased's wishes is to have their ashes kept at home, then it is best to honor this request. Such a process should be simple for the family; it usually is. You will receive the ashes from the crematorium in a durable bag and sometimes encased in a wooden box (if a specific urn has not been preselected prior to the cremation).

It is then up to the family to decide what they'd like to do with the ashes. Some may wish to place the ashes into an urn to display in their homes which will bring them a variety of beautiful options to ensure that they are commemorating their loved one.

Some other options to choose from when deciding what to do with the ashes include scattering them somewhere special, interring the ashes in a permanent place, planting the ashes as a tree to represent future life, traveling with the ashes to possibly honor a passion for adventure, and many more.

The most important thing to remember when going through this process is that the right decision for one person or family may not be the same for another. It is a personal process and there is no right or wrong way to deal with grief and manage the ashes.