By the time of the Civil War, the theme of the Good Death inspired songs, stories and poetry for and about the Civil War.
Filed under: Death & Dying, Death Practices, Grief and Grieving, Traditions on December 2nd, 2009 | No Comments »
My daughter and I traveled to Wales in 2005 to find my third great grandfather’s grave. When we found it (after extensive research before our trip), we purchased some local flowers and left those flowers and a note attached to those flowers for anyone who might visit the grave later. If someone visited the grave, they may be a relative, even if distant.
Filed under: Cemeteries, Death & Dying, Death Practices, Graveyard Etiquette, History of Funerals, Talking with Children, Traditions on June 16th, 2009 | 1 Comment »
Congress enacted legislation authorizing the purchase of land to be used as national cemeteries on 17 July 1862, during the Civil War. Fourteen cemeteries were established shortly after this legislation. Fourteen national cemeteries were established that first year, including one in Sharpsburg, Md., where 4,476 Union soldiers were laid to rest after the one-day Battle of Antietam. By comparison, approximately 3,000 American, British and Canadian fighters died on June 6, 1944, during the invasion of Normandy.
Filed under: About Tombstones, Cemeteries on June 1st, 2009 | 2 Comments »
Embalming, as an art and a practice, began in ancient Egypt as mummification, and has grown throughout the centuries to become a necessity at times, a blasphemy to some and a horror to others. Embalming, in most modern cultures, is the art and science of temporarily preserving human remains to forestall decomposition and to make them suitable for display at a funeral. According to Wikipedia:
Filed under: Death & Dying, Funeral Arrangements, History of Funerals, Traditions on April 16th, 2009 | 2 Comments »