Graves traditionally face west (heads to the west, feet to the east) so the deceased face the rising sun and await Christ's return from the East on Judgment Day, a custom rooted in early Christian and pagan sun worship, though modern cemeteries use various layouts for space or aesthetics, with some cultures viewing the west as the land of the dead.
One of the biggest beliefs concerns the orientation of the graves themselves. After all, most graves lie east to west. The body should have its head to the west and its feet to the east. That way the body faces the rising sun, and the final Judgment in the east.
This influence came from early religions that worshipped the sun. Many Egyptian temples were built so that the dead faced east. Christians believed that if the deceased were buried to face east, they could rise again on the day of resurrection.
A Complete Guide on Which Direction Caskets Are Buried! tThe tradition of placing the casket/shroud covered body in the grave with the head to the west is common, and people know about it. At the same time, the feet are to the east. The body would be placed face up.
Burying the dead facing east is rooted in the pious custom that when Christ comes again He will come from Jerusalem which, in the western world, is east, and therefore the dead are buried facing east so that when they rise, they are facing Christ.
Burial, whether of the body or the ashes, is seen as a physical sign of belief in the resurrection and eternal life. Scattering ashes, by contrast, is seen as diminishing that link between body and resurrection. The Church has always placed great importance on the dignity of the dead.
Headstones placed at the feet help maintain clean sightlines and consistent spacing across burial rows. This design reflects a shift toward cemeteries as serene, park-like environments rather than crowded graveyards. Uniform placement also simplifies future planning.
Penny: A penny left on a gravestone signifies that someone visited to pay their respects. 2. Nickel: A nickel indicates that the visitor and the deceased trained together in boot camp or basic training. 3. Dime: A dime represents that the visitor served with the deceased.
To Protect the Corpse from Being Stolen. Snatching dead bodies was common in many parts of England and Scotland in the early 1800s. Therefore, graves were always dug six feet deep to prevent body snatchers from gaining access to the buried remains.
You should never touch coins—or anything else—left on a gravestone because every token has a personal meaning. These items are not simply left behind by accident—they're meaningful symbols for grieving families.
One theory is that long ago husbands decided their wives belonged on their left side, the side closest to their heart. Other theories hold this placement is a reflection of a couple's wedding day. When walking down the aisle, the man is traditionally standing to the right of his bride.
Lots of old graves are placed with the front facing to the west. But this doesn't always mean that the buried body is facing to the west, too. Even with a west-facing tombstone, the deceased can still face to the east. This was actually common practice a long time ago.
Taking the time to visit the gravesite of a parent, spouse, family member, or friend is a great opportunity to remind yourself or others that the memory of the deceased is still cherished. Visiting a cemetery is also an opportunity to reflect on your life.
If you find that your loved ones headstone is sinking, shifted or leaning you will need to contact a headstone or monument company to have it fixed. The City is not responsible for leveling, moving, cleaning or shifting headstones.
Nearly all Christian apologetic tracts published in the 7th century in the Syriac and Arabic languages explained that Christians prayed facing the east because "the Garden of Eden was planted in the east (Genesis 2:8) and ... at the end of time, at the second coming, the Messiah would approach Jerusalem from the east."
Generally, the body is dressed in clothing before being placed in a casket or cremation container for the cremation process. Families often include items in the cremation container, such as religious objects and flowers.
The coffin and the body inside are cremated together. There are occasions where the deceased or the family of the deceased has opted for using a cardboard coffin in which their loved one will be cremated.
The burial vault or burial liner is designed to prevent the weight of earth or heavy cemetery maintenance equipment from collapsing the coffin beneath. Coffin collapse will cause the ground to sink and settle, marring the appearance of the cemetery and making it harder to maintain.
First and foremost, profanity or derogatory language should never be engraved on a headstone. This includes any words or phrases that may be considered offensive, vulgar or disrespectful. Using such language not only dishonours the memory of the deceased but can also offend other visitors to the gravesite.
A coin left on a headstone lets the deceased soldier's family know that somebody stopped by to pay their respect. A penny means you visited. A nickel means you and the deceased veteran trained at boot camp together. A dime means you and the deceased veteran served together in some capacity.
According to Jewish tradition, priests would become impure if they came within four feet of a dead body. Today, the tradition of leaving stones on a grave symbolizes showing respect to the deceased and serving as an indicator that someone has visited the gravesite.
Therefore, covering the lower half of the body is cost-efficient and saves time for the embalmer or the funeral director so that they can pay more attention to ensuring that the deceased look presentable at the top.
Cenotaph. A memorial or headstone placed on a grave where the physical body is not present. Historically, cenotaphs have been used to memorialize or to commemorate the deaths of those lost in war, or are at rest in another part of the world. TOP.