A graveyard is a place where people are buried. It is often associated with a church or other religious institution. It can be difficult to tell the difference between a graveyard and cemetery, as they are often used interchangeably.
Here are some definitions to help you distinguish between these two places.
Burial Ground
A burial ground is a place where people’s mortal remains are placed when they die. It is also called a graveyard, churchyard or necropolis. A graveyard can be located on public land through a town or city or privately owned.
A graveyard can be a place for many different religions to bury their followers but typically is associated with one church. This is because in earlier times church members were the only ones allowed to be buried in the churchyard.
Burial grounds are a reflection of society’s hierarchy in death as well as in life. The size of the headstone and its inscriptions show the relative status of men over women, adults over children and the wealthy over the poor. They also show the importance of the faith and religion in the deceased’s life. It is the last place where family and friends can come together before the soul moves on to the next world.
Churchyard
Churchyards are full of stories and are an important part of the local environment. Often the oldest enclosed piece of land in the parish, it can support a diverse range of wildflowers and wildlife. It is also an excellent opportunity to get children, Sunday Schools and green teams involved in the joys of plant, bug and animal hunting.
It is usually fenced and has paths around the church and graves, but some are open. It may have a lychgate – a wooden framed structure that was used to shelter the party bringing the corpse to the church for burial. It was usual for the priest to meet this party at the churchyard entrance.
Some have a stoup, a small stone basin for holding holy water. It was customary for people to dip their index finger into the water and then make the sign of the cross on themselves before entering the church.
Cemetery
The cemetery is a large area where people are buried. It usually has a central feature such as a cross, which is often designed to resemble an altar. It also has a register listing the known details of those who are buried or commemorated there. The cemetery may also have a plan which maps out the burial plots, rows and graves.
In many cultures, burying the dead has been a tradition that has reinforced the close ties of family members. This has encouraged the creation of cemeteries that are usually not located too far from where the deceased lived.
Unlike churchyards, most cemetery grounds are not affiliated with any particular religion. This makes them a more secular alternative. Typically, they also have more headstone options than churchyards do. It is also possible to have natural burials in a cemetery. However, they are not normally marked with conventional headstones, as they are supposed to return quickly to nature and be unmarked.
Gravestone
When it comes to end-of-life planning, there is a lot of terminology that can be confusing. This is especially true when it comes to the terms headstone, tombstone and gravestone. The terms are often used interchangeably, and there is no significant difference in their meanings.
A gravestone is a stone marker that is placed at the head of a grave and can include information about the person buried in the plot, including name, date of death and other inscriptions or symbols. It may also contain a carved image of the deceased, or even a sculpture that was commissioned specifically for the grave.
A tombstone is a larger monument that can mark the entire resting place of a person and can feature more detailed inscriptions or carvings about the person’s life. It may also include an engraved image or sculptural representation of the person, or a photograph. A tombstone can also serve as a security measure against grave robbers.