Memorial Day is one time of year when cemeteries see a lot of visitors. The holiday was established in 1868 to honor soldiers who had lost their lives in service to our nation during the Civil War. On Memorial Day, people often visit the graves of those who lost their lives in service and decorate their graves with American flags. Communities also have annual concerts and patriotic parades to mark the occasion. Many people also choose to visit cemeteries on Memorial Day to decorate the graves of family members who have passed away regardless of whether they served in the armed forces.
If you plan to decorate the grave of a loved one later this summer or next year, here are a few grave decorating tips to keep in mind. The first and most important tip is to find out what the rules and policies for grave decorating are at each of the cemeteries where you plan to do your decorating. Rules can vary a great deal from one cemetery to the next, so never assume that the policy at the place where Uncle Harold is buried is probably the same as the cemetery in the next town over where Grandma Ruth was laid to rest.
Go to the cemetery before you decorate and take some pictures of the grave site as well as measurements. This can help you to plan a nice design and make sure that the items that you select for your decoration are the right size for the headstone and burial plot where you plan to place them. Think about what flowers and plants your loved ones enjoyed, and then think about whether they are suitable for planting near a headstone and how much maintenance they will require. You may want to include some other items that are meaningful to your family or your loved ones, provided that they fit within the rules of the cemetery.
Photo by duboix on morguefile.com.