Cremation Services

Burning of the Dead

Cremation of the dead – a practice that has existed in the rest of Europe for decades – is now a reality in Greece.

Since September 2019, the Cremation Center (KAN) in Ritsona Evia has provided cremation services for bodies and bones from exhumations.

The Center operates in accordance with current European and national environmental legislation and international standards and has state-of-the-art electronic equipment.

The Cremation Center offers the possibility of organizing farewell ceremonies, coffee/meals, scattering, and keeping the ashes. Urns and memorial jewelry are also available.

Ritsona Cremation Center

Where is cremation done in Greece?

The relatives or relatives of the deceased should contact our Funeral Home, which then undertakes the cremation procedures in collaboration with the Cremation Center.
The cremation costs are covered by insurance funds, as is the case for burial.
Every natural person has the possibility, before a notary public, to define the type of funeral ceremony, the place of burial or cremation, the way of managing his ashes, and the person(s) who will carry out his wish (Law 344/1976 , no. 35A).
The cremation process takes 2-3 hours.

General information

Cremation (burning of a dead body) is an organized and institutionalized process in Greece, and it is a feasible option for many people since the procedures for cremation have been simplified, with the first crematorium opening in Ritsona of Evia and starting its operation in October of 2019.

Cremation in Greece

Cremations in Greece have been carried out since 2019 in Ritsona, Evia, where the first Cremation Center in Greece was created. The relevant legislation determines the process of cremation and the operation of the KAN. Now, the complicated and expensive process of expatriating the dead body to neighboring countries for cremation, as was the case until recently, is avoided.

Cremation Process

For the relatives of the deceased to proceed with the assignment of the cremation process, they must first contact our funeral home. Our office will contact the crematorium to arrange the cremation process. The Cremation Center does not serve requests for direct assignment of cremation because it operates not as a funeral home but as a Cremation Service.

It is clarified that the cremation of a body can be carried out a few days after death instead of burial, but the cremation of bones can be carried out within three years instead of osteopreservation after exhumation.

Cremation, how it is done

The cremation of the body, according to the prescribed procedure, is divided into two main stages:

in the combustion stage.The body is placed in an all-wood casket without paint, varnish, trim, or metal parts and then enters the incinerator, where the burning occurs at a high temperature.

at the stage of processing the solid residues of the incineration.The cremation stage involves placing the remains of the bones of the skeleton in an electric pulverizer. At this stage, the bones are crushed and turned into dust. The ashes and the crushed product from the pulverizer are placed in the urn, a special storage container chosen by the relatives.

The cremation takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes; however, the urn is delivered to the family within the next 2 hours when the container’s temperature is normal.

Management of ash after cremation

Regarding the management of ash after cremation, there are the following options:

Ash management within the Ritsonas Medical CenterWithin the KAN, options for ash management include:a). Burial of ashes in the Garden of Remembrance of the KAN.b). Storage of ashes in an urn within the specially designed facilities of the outdoor crematorium.c). Scattering of the ashes in the KAN flower garden.

Ash management outside of RitsonasWith a choice by the relatives for the burial of the ashes in nature, dispersion of the ashes in the air, dispersion of the ashes in the sea, keeping the urn in a special place in his home.