A sheaf of wheat symbolizes longevity and fruitfulness. It denotes that one has lived a long and fruitful life.
On a tombstone, wheat is usually depicted as a sheaf of wheat, but is occasionally is shown as stalks of wheat. Wheat usually symbolizes someone who has lived a long, fruitful life. Someone who has lived to a ripe old age. Since it is a harvested grain, wheat could signify the resurrection and immortality.
ANCHOR - a symbol of hope, or the deceased was a seaman. ANGEL - a guide to Heaven. ARCH - symbolizing a triumphant entry into Heaven or victory over death. ARROW - symbolizing mortality or martyrdom. BEEHIVE - symbol of abundance in the Promised Land or piety or domestic virtue or faith.
Urn. The urn symbolizes death itself. The Greeks used the urn as a symbol of mourning since it was often used as a repository for ashes of the dead. From the 1770's to the 1820's, urns with willow branches carved around them were popular on gravestones in New England's burial grounds.
A lamb, or Lamb of God, is typically found on children's graves for purity and innocence. “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:36, John 1:29). The lamb is also one of the most common images depicted on a child's grave.
Snake: Or, serpent, this animal, despite its nefarious reference in the Bible, has come to represent eternity and rebirth. The snake forming a circle and nearly devouring its own tail is known as an ouroboros and symbolizes infinity.
If a rose bud is shown in the grave art it is likely the headstone of a child under 12. A rose in partial bloom signifies the life of a teenager or before their prime. A rose in full bloom symbolizes a person who died early in life, in their prime: 20s-30s.
For many Christians, leaving candles on graves is a symbol of faith in the resurrection and promise of eternal life. Practiced for centuries, this tradition is still prevalent in modern cemeteries around the world.
Seen in both Christian and Jewish cemeteries, the dove is a symbol of resurrection, innocence and peace. An ascending dove, as pictured here, represents the transport of the departed's soul to heaven.
Cenotaph - a grave where the body is not present; a memorial erected as over a grave, but at a place where the body has not been interred. A cenotaph may look exactly like any other grave in terms of marker and inscription.
A sheaf of wheat symbolizes longevity and fruitfulness. It denotes that one has lived a long and fruitful life.
With regard to its use on headstones, grave markers, and memorials, the cross most likely symbolizes that the deceased was a Christian, as well as his or her hope of new life in heaven.
Christianity & The Sideways Cross
Many people view the horizontal cross as a symbol of Jesus achieving the salvation of His people. As His work is finished, the cross has been laid down. He no longer has to carry the weight of the cross or the sins of His people.
Often called the staff of life, wheat is a long-standing symbol of fertility, bounty and resurrection. This symbolic association dates to the earliest days of Western civilization, when the cultivation of wheat and other grains facilitated the eventual development of cities and towns.
To Symbolize Their Visit
Many people leave stones on a loved one's grave or memorial to mark their visit. The symbol of the stone can bring comfort to family and friends, letting them know their loved one has been visited, grieved and prayed for by others, too.
In AOII Memorial Rituals and Services the sheaf of wheat represents the harvest of a fruitful life, as well as the regeneration of fallen wheat.
These stones remind them that someone they care for was visited, mourned for, respected, supported and honored by the presence of others who've visited their memorial. The Hebrew word for pebble is also a word that means “bond.” By placing a stone on the headstone, it bonds the deceased with the visitors.
A broken column symbolizes a person's break with life or a life cut short.
The symbolism of wreaths has been used at funerals since at least the time of Ancient Greece, to represent a circle of eternal life. Evergreen wreaths were laid at the burial place of early martyrs in Europe, representing the victory of the eternal spirit over death.
The practice of leaving flowers at graves began thousands of years ago when the ancient Greeks would honor fallen warriors. They believed that if the flowers rooted into the ground and grew from the gravesite, it was a sign that the fallen had found peace.
Lit or upright the torch represents life. Torch, inverted. The inverted torch is a true cemetery symbol, symbolizing life in the next realm or a life. extinguished.
Memorialization. Leaving flowers at the grave is a form of ongoing memorialization. It's a way to consciously remember the deceased and leave something in their honor.
The sunflower on each grave is a symbol of remembrance for the person buried in that grave. The planting of the flower is an act of bearing witness to a single life.
Mysterious and striking, the most common symbolism tied to black roses is that of death, mourning or tragedy. Whether they are stand-alone black rose bouquets or mixed white and black blossoms, both are moving displays for funerals or memorial services to express grieving or a final farewell to a loved one.
Death and Mourning
The main meaning of a black rose is death and grief. They're often used to express sorrow or condolences for the loss of a loved one. Therefore, you may see them at funerals or similar occasions. They can also be a symbol of farewell or the end of a relationship.