With regard to its use on headstones, grave markers, and memorials, the cross most likely symbolizes that the deceased was a Christian, as well as his or her hope of new life in heaven.
The Calvary or Latin Cross is the plainest of the crosses you'll see in a cemetery. You'll notice there are three blocks on the base. These represent the climb Christ made to Calvary where he was crucified. The three steps are said to be a reminder of faith, hope, and charity.
The Cross that is usually placed in or on the casket is a reminder that we, as Christians, were marked with the cross in baptism and through Jesus' suffering on the cross, we are brought to his resurrection.
You can place the following temporary tributes on the grave: a wooden cross (up to 500mm or 18 inches)
The symbolism behind this meaning is that devout Christians must take up their own cross and follow the Lord. In fact, some people believe that the sideways cross bares no difference from that of the standard Latin cross. To some, the sideways cross is a symbol of Earth lying between Heaven and Hell.
When seen on a cemetery headstone or gravemarker, two clasped hands on the same level with matching cuffs typically represent: A farewell/goodbye to earthly life. The continuity/unity of life and death as a human condition. A greeting/welcome to eternal life.
A memorial cross (sometimes called an intending cross) is a cross-shaped memorial to commemorate a special event or an incident, typically where one or more people died. It may also be a simple form of headstone to commemorate the dead.
Cenotaph - a grave where the body is not present; a memorial erected as over a grave, but at a place where the body has not been interred. A cenotaph may look exactly like any other grave in terms of marker and inscription.
Six feet also helped keep bodies out of the hands of body snatchers. Medical schools in the early 1800s bought cadavers for anatomical study and dissection, and some people supplied the demand by digging up fresh corpses. Gravesites reaching six feet helped prevent farmers from accidentally plowing up bodies.
If the owner has died, a new owner must be registered before we can open a grave or any work is done to a memorial. Changing the grave owner is easier when Probate has been granted. If you want more information on registering a new owner, please ask the Cemeteries Office for advice.
Coffins are carried feet first simply because of health and safety, rather than any kind of ceremonial tradition.
It is a common practice to cover the legs as there is swelling in the feet and shoes don't fit. As part of funeral care, the body is dressed and preserved, with the prime focus on the face. Post embalming, bodies are often placed without shoes; hence covering the legs is the way to offer a dignified funeral.
In recent times, many mourners now prefer to carry the coffin themselves when possible. It can be seen as a mark of respect for family and friends to perform this duty, whether carrying the coffin or bearing it on their shoulders.
The belief is that one must break off a piece of brick from another tomb, spin around three times, scrape three X's onto the tomb, and do some sort of knocking on the tomb. Then an offering should be left at the tomb and your wish will be granted. X's that are circled are said to mean that the wish had come true.
Following are some of the more common symbols found on gravestones and their meanings. ANCHOR - a symbol of hope, or the deceased was a seaman. ANGEL - a guide to Heaven. ARCH - symbolizing a triumphant entry into Heaven or victory over death. ARROW - symbolizing mortality or martyrdom.
Leaving stones or pebbles on a grave is an ancient Jewish tradition, but its origins are unclear. It is not a commandment, rather a custom or tradition.
If you are looking at a long-lasting ground casket, pick a steel or metal casket. If the grave site is low on water content or moisture, metal caskets are known to last even longer, over five decades. Under favorable weather conditions, experts say that metal caskets may even last more than that – up to 80 years.
For the most part, however, if a non-embalmed body was viewed one year after burial, it would already be significantly decomposed, the soft tissues gone, and only the bones and some other body parts remaining.
Most Christians tend to bury their dead facing east. This is because they believe in the second coming of Christ and scripture teaches that he will come from the east. In this manner, they place their dead in a position so they can meet Christ face-to-face during his second coming.
Even pointing at a grave could bring bad luck. Given the proliferation of photos of graveyards, that means a lot of people have been willingly courting bad luck! According to one website, collecting epitaphs means the collector will lose their memory.
Premature burial, also known as live burial, burial alive, or vivisepulture, means to be buried while still alive.
If the ground is light, dry soil, decomposition is quicker. Generally speaking, a body takes 10 or 15 years to decompose to a skeleton. Some of the old Victorian graves hold families of up to eight people. As those coffins decompose, the remains will gradually sink to the bottom of the grave and merge.
Typically, the husband is buried on the left, whereas the wife should be on the right, as you're standing at their feet. The position isn't ordinary, and it's the same that couples have while they're getting married. In some cemeteries, the tradition hasn't disappeared, and it's the most common for couples.
There are four basic types of iconographic representations of the cross: the crux quadrata, or Greek cross, with four equal arms; the crux immissa, or Latin cross, whose base stem is longer than the other three arms; the crux commissa, in the form of the Greek letter tau, sometimes called St.
Grave subsidence refers to the appearance of graves 'sinking'. This is an entirely natural process caused by loosened soil settling into place and the natural process of the coffin collapsing overtime.