If you are a genealogist, then you probably use the words graveyard and cemetery interchangeably. However, if you want to be more linguistically precise, then graveyard refers to burial grounds attached to churches while cemetery is used for non-church-related sites.
The biggest clue is the word cemetery itself – it implies that the area was chosen specifically for burials, unlike just a random patch of land beside a church. Here are some other differences.
Location
There is a difference between graveyard and cemetery, even though people often use these words interchangeably. Graveyard is a yard where bodies are buried, and it is usually located near a church. Cemeteries, on the other hand, are bigger and have more regulations. It is important to understand the differences between these two places, but they are both used for the same purpose: honoring the dead.
Historically, churches were responsible for the burial of their members, but as they ran out of space, non-church-associated cemeteries were created to address this issue. While some churches still have graveyards on their grounds, many don’t and instead refer to their grounds as a cemetery.
Some people believe that the word cemetery is more modern than the word graveyard, but both have existed for thousands of years. It is not uncommon for people to visit graveyards to pay their respects to loved ones who have died. This is true whether the ancestors were buried or cremated.
Symbolism
The symbols on a gravestone can convey a wide variety of messages. Some, like the wings on a skull or an hourglass, are blunt in their symbolism – it’s clear that they’re a reminder that life is fleeting. Other symbols, such as an anchor or a cross, have religious connotations. Some are also more subtle, such as a torch that has been turned upside down and still holds its flame.
Angels symbolize the guardianship of a soul on its journey to heaven. They’re often seen on children’s gravestones, as well as those of adults with untimely deaths. Flowers often have symbolic meanings as well, such as rose buds with broken stems to represent a short life and the wilting of a flower to suggest death. Other icons, such as the skull and cross bones or the Ouroboros (snake swallowing its tail), act as a Memento Mori, reminding us of our mortality. The obelisks at St Peter’s Churchyard Wallsend and the classical scene on the monument to physician James Milne in Grey Friars Kirkyard, Jesmond, are both examples of this.
Arrangements
Graveyards are usually affiliated with a church and located on the church’s property. However, they may also be found on non-consecrated land. Historically, churches reserved burial space in their churchyard for members of the congregation and those who had expressed interest in a burial within the church upon death. Cemeteries, on the other hand, are not associated with any particular church and often accommodate people of all faiths.
In general, graveyards are smaller than cemeteries and typically contain the burial plots of a single family or group of people from a small town. They tend to be older, with tombstones scattered about in a disorganized fashion. Cemeteries, on the other hand, can be much larger and offer more services than graveyards.
In either case, graveyards are a meaningful place to visit loved ones and pay respects to the deceased. Adding a silk cemetery arrangement to the site is a thoughtful gesture that honors your loved one and shows that you care. Choose flowers that symbolize purity, love, and sympathy like lilies or roses. Keep the display clean by regularly watering and replacing wilted flowers.
Regulations
In addition to a variety of aesthetic concerns, graveyard regulations govern such practical matters as maintenance, security and the placement of memorials. Regulations vary from place to place, but the general rules include the following:
Grave sites should be at least five feet apart. Burial sections should have one predominant slope and final grades should range between two percent and a maximum of 15 percent.
Regulations governing headstones differ from church to place, but most graveyards have more conservative requirements for inscriptions than cemeteries. Moreover, the regulations may stipulate that no lot owner shall allow signs, bottles, shells, toys, metal designs, ornaments, chairs or vigil lights to be placed on his or her lots or graves. The Cemetery Commission may require the removal of any such items if they violate the regulations. Likewise, no burial is permitted on or over roads, drives, alleys or walks within the cemetery. The Cemetery Commission reserves the right to enlarge, reduce or re-plot roads, drives, alleys and walks as it may deem necessary.