Memorial Day and Cemetery Etiquette
Memorial Day is observed on the last Monday of May and honors the men and women who have died while serving in the U.S. military. We remember and salute our veterans for the sacrifices they’ve made for our great country. Memorial Day has also long been touted as the first official holiday of the summer – the beginning of plentiful sunshine, snow cones, swimming, and, here in St. George, tremendous heat. Americans look forward to celebrating with family barbecues and visiting and decorating the graves of their loved ones.
As we celebrate Memorial Day this year, it is also important to remember that proper etiquette is to be observed while visiting a cemetery. As a funeral director, here are a few of my top tips:
1. Be respectful of the dead and the living. Family and friends gather at a cemetery to mourn their loved ones and oftentimes need personal space and reverence. Don’t use loud voices and remember to turn down the radio in your vehicle as you drive in and out of the cemetery.
2. Keep the cemetery clean. Don’t litter and take the time to pick up and dispose of any trash you observe.
3. Teach children reverence and respect. Don’t allow children to climb or stand on headstones. Also, don’t allow children to remove personal items from a gravesite. Family members often leave behind personal memorabilia, like a teddy bear or a can of soda.
4. Remove old flowers. Help keep the cemetery tidy.
5. As a general rule, pets are discouraged inside cemetery grounds, and some may not allow them at all.
6. Park in designated areas only.
7. Remember that all cemeteries close at dark.
Happy Memorial Day from Serenity Funeral Home. We are located just off Riverside Dr. at 1316 S. 400 E., Ste. A5, St. George, UT, (435) 986-9100. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram @SerenityFuneralSTG.
Submitted by Larry L. Hansen, Owner/Licensed Funeral Director