Hello Friends,
My husband and I like to visit cemeteries on our travels. We enjoy reading the stones. We often wonder why we see the items left on the gravestones.
I am sharing a few unique to us gravestones that we have seen throughout our travels.
Bruce Wasielewski, we did not know him, but I was interested in what he had put on the back of his gravestone.. IT IS WHAT IT IS DARLING.
I have always wondered why I would see coins. I found out the answer, please share with me if you know something different.
Leaving coins on veterans' gravestones is a common tradition meant to show the fallen soldier's family that someone paid their respects. Different denominations represent varying levels of connection:
A penny means you visited. A nickel signifies you and the deceased trained together, a dime means you and the veteran served together, and a quarter shows you were there when the veteran died.
If you know of any other traditions, please do share.
I have not heard of the coins being left at graves. Thanks for sharing the significance of the coins. I have seen beer cans left at graves too. Janice
ReplyDeleteI never heard of the tradition of leaving the coins. That is a great tribute to let the family know others miss their loved ones and care deeply to take the time to visit the grave. Thanks for sharing that information. Happy New week. Hugs. Kris
ReplyDeleteSame here Carla. Sam and I enjoy visiting cemeteries. Exactly what you said are the reasons I've always know for the pennies. For my dad, it's a different story. He loved quarters (not sure why) but he did. When we visit, we always leave him a new quarter. LOL...as of right now, he has a good stack of quarters on his and my mom's headstone. No one has ever bothered them.
ReplyDeleteSome folks leave instruction for relatives to plant and maintain catnip plants around their grave. The congregating of area cats indicates the deceased is a god or deity of the cat community.
ReplyDeletePeople leave stones on the graves on the side of the Mount of Olives in Jerusalem. Our tour guide told us it was because the flowers would die quickly, which is true, but I've also read that stones were originally placed on Jewish graves to warn priests to stay away so they wouldn't become unclean.
ReplyDeleteYou’re right Carla. At our Veterans cemetery there’s either rocks or coins on the headstones. Sometimes both if the veteran is Jewish. We always place a rock on my husband’s Jewish veteran friend when we visit. I love these old customs that really do have deep meaning.
ReplyDeleteI was not aware of the coin tradition for veterans. That is really interesting.
ReplyDeleteI had no idea about the coins either. I share your interest in walking through, reading the stones. It is what it is, darling is a good one!
ReplyDeleteI didn't know about the coins, but I heard about the rocks.
ReplyDeleteI like to look through cemeteries too. I have never heard of the coin thing! You really found a mystery with the tombstone "It is what it is". I would sure love to know about it. And also, the "Darling"!
ReplyDeleteI had never heard of the tradition of leaving coins on veterans' stones and the meaning. Interesting information. I know in Jewish cemeteries people leave a stone to indicate that they visited.
ReplyDeleteThat "It Is What It Is Darling" inscription is very intriguing. I'd love to know the story behind it.