What’s a cemetery piece without a little EAP? (Photo: my own)

It’s been amazing weather here in the Baltimore area, and I hope that you’re having groovy weather too. Because it’s Halloween, so why not head out and enjoy it? And by “head out”, I mean wander over to your local cemetery and check out some grave markers! What? They can be absolutely lovely, and the older ones have a meaning all their own.

I’ve always known that a lamb means that a child had passed away, and obviously a cross or Star of David lets you know a certain person’s religion.  But did you know that a sheaf of wheat means that the marker was celebrating a life lived to the fullest, “harvested” at a lovely old age?  Or that a dolphin “portrays the idea of resurrection”? And let’s not forget the practice of leaving “offerings” at the site of African-American graves, each item with a specific meaning.  Talk amongst yourselves; I’m getting verklempt…

For real in-depth 411, check out these amazing posts by others who have done serious research on the subject. And Happy Halloween!

Symbols Found on Gravestones – TheCemeteryClub.com

Tombstone Symbols & their Meanings – United States Genealogy & History Network

Gravestone Symbolism – GraveAddiction.com

African American/Christian Burial Artifacts and Their Symbolism – Dr. Graveyard

History of African-American Cemeteries – SciWay.net