Compared to funeral homes Johnstown, PA, the cemetery is one of the few places where you need to be at the best of your behavior. The place contains the remains of loved ones and demands the utmost respect and etiquette that you should know about.
If you’re planning on visiting a cemetery to pay respects to a loved one or attend a graveside service, there are some things you should avoid doing.
Let’s get right to it.
1. Be On Time
Cemeteries have hours posted for a reason. schedule your visit within posted hours to show your respect to the deceased and also to the employees, and schedule your visit within posted hours. If you find the gates closed, head back.
2. Drive Slowly Through the Cemetery Driveways
Stating the obvious, if you’re driving into a cemetery, drive carefully. Don’t drive fast even if it is huge. Generally, there is a posted speed limit but more often than not, it’s not. Go about 10 miles per hour, and even slower if you see a funeral service or gathering nearby.
3. Keep Tabs on Kids
Talk to your children ahead of time. Teach them manners and common courtesy. Visiting a cemetery is a great way to also teach them about respect for the dead and those who are mourning.
Tell them to be respectful to the remains of the deceased. They shouldn’t walk on the graves, run here and there, laugh loudly, or be disrespectful to other mourners. Similarly, ask them not to leave food or drinks on the headstone. It leaves a bad message and may seem like an act of disrespect to the deceased.
4. Avoid Disrupting the Service
Plan on avoiding contact and conversation, but be ready to be friendly if they appear to be ready and willing to engage. You can nod and smile, and if it’s clear that the other person is friendly and wants to talk, then, by all means, say hi and have a discussion.
The people you see in the cemetery will often be grieving. Try your best to avoid breaking their reverie, alone time, a ritual of talking to their loved one, or prayers, or whatever they are doing.
Similarly, don’t take out your phone and start taking pictures of the service. This gives the wrong idea of you being disrespectful to the dead and the alive. Also, don’t talk loudly so as to disrupt the service. Try to keep quiet as much as possible until you have to utter words.
5. Don’t Leave Trash or Broken Items
Don’t leave glass, ceramic, or other breakable items on the grave. They will break. Maybe not right away, but they can. Be sure to pick up the pieces and throw them in the garbage box.
If they don’t spot the broken item right away, kids might pick it up and cut themselves or it could harm animals or someone stumbling.
Follow these tips and try to be as respectful to both the deceased and the mourners as possible. That’s what cemeteries expect of you or any visitor. You’ll visit the cemetery after the service at funeral homes Johnstown, PA.
