I don't know the cultural origin of the tradition, but some people keep the ashes of their relatives in their homes. I have friends who have an urn with a paren

I don't know the cultural origin of the tradition, but some people keep the ashes of their relatives in their homes. I have friends who have an urn with a parent's ashes in a place of honor. Ashes pose no public health risk (they're often scattered in public places, parks, and bodies of water), so it's surprising to learn that any government would require that ashes be interred below ground.