Why do graves face east and west?

Why do graves face east and west?

Why caused the east-facing position? Some of the ancient religions (based on the sun) would bury the dead facing east so that they could face the “new day” and the “rising sun.” Once again, Christ is considered to be the “Light of the World,” which explains the eastward facing burials.

Are graves always facing east?

Most cemeteries bury husbands on the south side of a burial plot, with their wives on the north. The other key factor, Delp notes, is that headstones can face east or west. The direction they face makes a big difference. But in most cemeteries, headstones face east, which puts husbands to the left of their wives.

Why do people put pennies on graves?

A coin left on a headstone or at the grave site is meant as a message to the deceased soldier’s family that someone else has visited the grave to pay respect. Leaving a penny at the grave means simply that you visited.

Why do graves face east?

There are various beliefs regarding the reason why graves face east. They can be traced back to as far as the first religions and cultures ‘š sun based, where the sun is seen as the caretaker of life. And we all know that the sun rises in the east.

Do graves face east?

Not only have graves often been oriented toward the East, temples and the body’s position during prayer have also been aligned in that direction. Though some graveyards no longer heed any particular alignment, it was most common in the Western world right up through to the early 20th century to have graves face the East.

Are people buried facing east?

No, all graves don’t face east. Most graves are distributed chaotically, and they can be found facing in all directions. Some people say that graves are pointed to the east because that is the direction of the Rising Sun, from which we shall expect Christ to come at the Last Judgement.

Why do Headstones face west?

ViktorCap/iStock/Getty Images. Although Christians are traditionally buried facing east, clergy members are generally buried facing west. The belief behind this is that when the dead are risen, clergy will rise facing their congregations, ready to lead their people once again.