Graveyards are filled with books never written, songs never sung, words never spoken, things never done.
THE FINAL FAREWELL: Death and travel are natural part of life. Funerals as we know can be tracked back thousands of years. Today funeral and graveyards are an honour to life lived. It allows us to express our grief. On my tours, I use to visit museums, churches, markets, and meeting people around the world. Now I add graveyards, to learn about the final farewell, and the difference from country to country.
Funerals and graveyards
All funerals have one thing in common – disposition of the corpse to a place where it will not be offensive to the living. This may be by burial, burning, sealing in an enclosed space, sinking in water, feeding to birds – it ranges from the charming to the bizarre.
Shopping, relaxing on sunbeds, and visiting museums can be enjoyable. Exploring funeral and graveyards offer a unique perspective on history and culture. Gravestones also offer a look at an under-explored art form.
AROUND THE WORLD – A SPEEDY VENTURE
Historical Insight
Graveyards often hold a wealth of historical information. Headstones, monuments, and inscriptions can reveal important details about a community’s past, such as the lives of notable figures, societal norms, and historical events. By exploring graveyards, you can gain a deeper understanding of the local history and the people who shaped it.
Space for Reflection
Graveyards can provide insights into the cultural and religious beliefs of a community. Different burial practices, styles of gravestones, and rituals can reveal aspects of a society’s values, customs, and traditions.
Graveyards offer a reflective atmosphere. Walking through a graveyard can prompt thoughts about life, mortality, and the humanity. This is ideal spaces for reflection.
AFRICA: A presidential funeral in Africa
Architecture and Artistic
Many graveyards feature impressive architecture and artistic elements in the form of elaborate tombstones, sculptures, and mausoleums. These artistic expressions often reflect the dominant styles of funeral of their time.
Graveyards tell stories, legends, and anecdotes. Talking to locals or using audio guides or written resources can unearth fascinating histories. These can add depth and intrigue to your visit and provide context to the lives of those who rest there.
Educational journey
Graveyards is a window into the past. By exploring graveyards during travels, you can learn a great deal.
Visits to graveyards into our travels, we are on a unique educational journey. It allows us to delve beyond the surface-level attractions and gain a deeper understanding of the cultures.
Cemetery and graveyards
There is difference between a cemetery and a graveyard. Generally, a cemetery is larger and found in urban areas, with thousands of graves. Cemeteries are often associated with non-religious, serving a broader community. On the other hand, graveyards are smaller and tend to be in church settings. These differences are not always strict and can vary across cultures and regions.
Death is nothing
Highgate is the most famous cemetery located in North London, and here you can join for guided tours. Pop-star George Michael and Karl Marx are two of the famous at Highgate. Philosopher and activist Marx wrote Das Kapital and formed the basis of Marxism.
Marx’s own conclusion about death: “Death is simply nothing, so it is nothing to fear. It is not painful or pleasurable; death is simply the end of sensation.”
From life to graveyard
Be respectful when visiting funeral and graveyards. Stay with curiosity and respect, make most of this unique opportunity for learning during your visit.
Most people say about graveyards: “It´s just dead people, it´s creepy.” But for me it is a way to learn about the city or place I´m visiting.
If you are dying to have a good laugh, then graveyards could be the right place! Whether you’re a fan of dark humour or you just can’t resist a good graveyard joke.
Such as this one: “I tried to book a plot in the cemetery, but all the good ones were taken. Guess I’ll have to think outside the box.”
Or this one: “Why can´t you get good cell service in a cemetery? Because it´s a dead zone.”
More insight stories about the word of funerals and graveyards to follow – and the inevitable transition from life to death.
Farewell is not the end. Until we meet again…
