Tombs-Day Special: The ABCs of Cemeteries - Part 4

J is for Jesus
Due to the popularity of Christianity and Christian based religions across the globe, it's not a hard to imagine why that imagery would carry forward into cemeteries. The crucifixion, as shown above, is a commonly used symbol in Catholicism. The headstone in the picture above was found in a Catholic cemetery. The crucifix depicts Jesus, the son of God, being crucified on a cross and dying for our sins. The reference in a cemetery would mean that it is being recognized that the deceased will have everlasting life in heaven because of Jesus's and God's sacrifice on the cross.

K is for Kin
Kin is a word that refers to one's relationship to a family or common ancestor. In cemeteries, particularly smaller ones such as pioneer cemeteries, you can often find a family name repeated amongst the headstones. The headstones above are all belonging to the Wilson family, in Donegal Cemetery, ON. In this same cemetery several names dominated the landscape, one even making up nearly 10% of the monument names. Finding kin in a cemetery is a common thing since naturally, family members want to buried with their loved ones.

L is for Lamb
A lamb on a headstone is not common on new headstones, but one can certainly find them in old cemeteries in old headstones. The lamb is a symbol that can refer to a 'lamb of God's which is concept used frequently in Christianity to describe the relationship one has to God as one of his followers - God is a Shepard. The lamb can also signify that someone has died to soon, specifically as child.