Seasonal Grave Symbolism - Find a Grave News (original) (raw)

With their unique blend of traditions, holiday gatherings, and quiet solitude, the darker months of the year naturally lend themselves to remembrance. Across the world, wreaths, candles, photos, and other mementos are placed at grave sites to honor and memorialize loved ones.

In some cases, these symbols are attached to gravestones in a more permanent way. Many are commonly found in engravings, sculptures, or the shape of the stones themselves. And each holds a meaning­­—often several meanings—which may add extra poignancy to cemetery visits this season.

Candles

Candles are a frequent sight in both cemetery visits and gravestone art. Across many practices and cultures, candles almost universally hold connotations of light and warmth—welcome symbolism in a season known for cold, dark nights.

On a gravestone, a lit candle embodies life. Thus, a snuffed or burned-out candle represents life that has ended, as in the scene depicted on Joseph Trapping’s marker.

Photo by Frank Cousins

Photogrammetry by Andrew Perrin

Candle engravings can have a more optimistic symbolism as well. When depicted with a flame still burning, they may represent a commitment to one’s faith, Christ as the “light of the world,” or a belief in eternal life. They are also seen as a metaphor for hope.

Skulls

Though not often considered a festive symbol, skulls and cemeteries are central to remembrance days like Día de los Muertos. This holiday honors departed loved ones with the celebratory energy of a family reunion—complete with sugar skulls to honor and represent those who’ve passed on.

Gravestone of Mary Maverick Pratt

Gravestone of Benjamin Parker

The skull or skeleton is a common motif found on gravestones. A skull and crossbones can simply represent mortality, and a winged skull implies the soul’s ascension to heaven. In general, particularly before the 1900s, skulls were the visual version of the phrase “Memento Mori,” an acknowledgement of the inevitability of death. Some may find this a morbid message, but historically skull imagery was a straightforward reminder that death is part of life.

Wreaths and Garlands

A garland’s meaning can change depending on the foliage. One might spot familiar winter evergreens like pine, holly, and ivy, all of which share connotations of immortality. Each also has their own associations. Holly was linked to luck in ancient customs, while in Christianity the prickly leaves and red berries might reference Christ’s sacrifice. Pine (especially pinecones) is linked with regeneration, and ivy with friendship and fidelity.

A bronze pine garland wraps around the Field family monument

Wreaths share many meanings with garlands, but their circular shape nods to the cyclical nature of life and death. They may also indicate a notable accomplishment in some area of the person’s life, especially when made of laurel, another evergreen. More generally, the wreath symbolizes victory over death itself through rebirth and the immortality of the soul.

An angel of grief holds a laurel wreath at the O’Donohue family gravesite

Portraits

Gravestone of Rachel Blythe including portrait

Gravestone of Belle Archer including portrait

Some loved ones have been memorialized in a very literal way with permanent portraits. Such tributes can range from minimal to incredibly detailed, and from professional artistry to etchings by a passionate amateur. All provide a generous glimpse of those who’ve passed on that can be a true gift to both the deceased and those who visit their graves.

What is a sculpture made in a loved one’s image if not the three-dimensional version of the portrait? Both portrait and sculpture have the benefit of being highly personalized tributes to the departed, often standing for decades and even centuries beyond the lifetime of those they honor.

As with much of gravestone art, the individual’s beliefs, preferences, hobbies, and more can add even more depth to these symbols beyond their broadly understood meanings. A closer look at gravestones like these can provide an unexpectedly rich understanding of those memorialized.

Have you seen similar symbols on gravestones at your local cemeteries? Are there meanings we might have missed? Let us know in the comments. Keep safe and warm this winter, and thank you for the gift of your time and effort as part of this community!