Which way should graves face? Or doesn't it matter?
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (326222)
Rockingham, Australia
August 29, 2017 11:35am CST
We left our campsite a bit later than usual this morning and only made a couple of short stops. One of these was at a small cemetery with a little chapel in the centre. It seemed that maybe the local authorities had made an effort to restore the gravestones or encourage families to erect new headstones.
You could see that many graves had a very old stone base but had big, relatively new marble slabs and fancy headstones. A custom in France seems to be to put small plaques on top of the slab. In Australia, I think these would be stolen or broken but the idea is nice.
Some older stone bases had signs saying the ‘occupant’ was unknown and if anyone knew the occupants’ name could they please contact the local authorities. It is sad when a grave becomes so old there is no one left to care for it.
Another interesting feature is that one line of graves faced one way and the next line faced the opposite way. In Australia it was mostly the custom for the deceased to be laid with his/her head to the west ie facing the eat. Do graves in your cemeteries all face the same way?
23 people like this
22 responses
@1creekgirl (40635)
• United States
29 Aug 17
All the graves here face the east in anticipation of Christ's return.
4 people like this
@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Aug 17
@marguicha I have no idea. Maybe it made designing graveyards easier.
@LadyDuck (459514)
• Switzerland
31 Aug 17
@JudyEv The Monumentale is known for the abundance of artistic tombs and monuments. Many of the tombs belong to famous industrialist dynasties. This cemetery also has a special section for those who are not Catholic religion and also has a Jewish section. Many tourists visit this place.
1 person likes this
@JohnRoberts (109857)
• Los Angeles, California
29 Aug 17
Headstones are passe in the US. All are flat on the ground because it is cheaper to maintain grounds as the lawn mover just goes up and down. Cemeteries can be pretty big here and which direction graves face depend on inclines and angles and location.
3 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
29 Aug 17
It is an interesting question. A text of the 13th C tells that people should be buried with the feet to the East, but it was something recent, and there is no rule in Christian cemeteries before the Middle-Age for graves. Before that the W-E orientation was only for churches.
And for France, a law from 1881 says that faith-based divisions are forbidden in cemeteries. It is why you can find any kind of orientation today.
2 people like this
@topffer (42156)
• France
30 Aug 17
@JudyEv I never read "Kalathumpian" before. I guess it is from Greek Kalathos, waste bin
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I think it was a wild boars beat. They are considered harmful and can be hunted all the year. They can do a lot of damages in maize fields. You should have seen or heard a few dogs too, to make the boars moving.
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I think it was a wild boars beat. They are considered harmful and can be hunted all the year. They can do a lot of damages in maize fields. You should have seen or heard a few dogs too, to make the boars moving.1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Aug 17
Thanks for that. In my home town, the sections are faith-based but they'd need a big section now for Kalathumpians (a good Aussie word meaning 'those of no particular, if any, faith). 
And I wanted to ask you - two days ago we came across a dozen or so men lined up along the road at about 30m intervals all with shotguns. A guy each end had a hunting-type horn. So I was wondering what were they hunting? Were they going to try to flush out pheasants or grouse or what? They were on the RH side facing across the road to a field of maize. I didn't see any dogs. It's good having a person to direct all my 'French' questions too! 
And I wanted to ask you - two days ago we came across a dozen or so men lined up along the road at about 30m intervals all with shotguns. A guy each end had a hunting-type horn. So I was wondering what were they hunting? Were they going to try to flush out pheasants or grouse or what? They were on the RH side facing across the road to a field of maize. I didn't see any dogs. It's good having a person to direct all my 'French' questions too! 1 person likes this
@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Aug 17
@topffer I usually say I'm a Kalathumpain although I always fully supported Vince when he was still attending Mass. It was fairly common to convert to Catholicism during the time we married but it didn't really sit right with me although to all intents and purposes I might as well have converted.
Maybe the dogs were behind the field and were going to drive the boars towards the hunters. That would explain why I didn't see any dogs. And our motor-home is too noisy to hear too much else.
1 person likes this
@averygirl72 (37763)
• Philippines
30 Aug 17
It's face in different directions depending on what row it follows. I didn't know that the head should be the west facing the east
2 people like this
@sueznewz2 (10409)
• Alicante, Spain
30 Aug 17
most of the graves face east in the uk... but withsome exceptions... .but.., I do not know if thats because of religeous beliefs or full use of available space...
2 people like this
@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Aug 17
There seems to be a strong case for facing east. Or at least a precedent.
@Happy2BeMe (99390)
• Canada
30 Aug 17
Most cemeteries I have been too they alwys face east but there is one by here that I walk in often and there are many different sectionstyles and each section faces a different way.
2 people like this
@Happy2BeMe (99390)
• Canada
31 Aug 17
@JudyEv I am not really sure. I never thought of it until I read your post.
@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
30 Aug 17
It seems most face east but it isn't universal by any means.
@Fleura (29219)
• United Kingdom
30 Aug 17
It is traditional for Christians to be buried so that if (when?) they stand up they will be facing east. And yes in our local cemetery they all face this way. In some older ones though, old headstones have been removed from the graves and instead placed around the cemetery walls, so as to make maintenance easier and reduce the risk of old gravestones falling on someone. But the actual graves are still in the same place under the grass.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29219)
• United Kingdom
30 Aug 17
@JudyEv I think it's another instance of Christian tradition taking over pre-existing traditions, along with Yes trees around churches, Christmas in the middle of winter (when Jesus was most likely born in September) and various other things.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29293)
• Eugene, Oregon
29 Aug 17
I have no idea. I guess I thought it was up to the people who ran it to decide. I don't know if there is such a custom in the US or not.
1 person likes this
@JamesHxstatic (29293)
• Eugene, Oregon
30 Aug 17
@JudyEv No worries really, but it is odd to think about if there is any order to these places.
1 person likes this
@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
29 Aug 17
I've honestly never noticed if the graves face a certain way, to tell the truth.
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@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Aug 17
@teamfreak16 It was only wrong in the eyes of the locals. They weren't really into 'different'.
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@teamfreak16 (43419)
• Denver, Colorado
30 Aug 17
@JudyEv - It never occurred to me that a grave could be facing the wrong way.
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@JudyEv (326222)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Aug 17
@charlesudo That's interesting. Thanks for sharing your customs.
@charlesudo (73)
• Kisumu, Kenya
31 Aug 17
@JudyEv the head must face the gate in case you are being buried in your home and on the right hand side of the main house
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