Why graves face east

Mecca and the face turned to the right and facing Qibla. Rabbi Moshe Sofer says that, while Jewish law does not require all graves to face any particular direction, in anticipation of the ultimate redemption and the messianic era, when all will be resurrected, there was a custom that evolved in many communities. In many cemeteries, the bodies are buried with their feet facing the entrance to the cemetery to symbolize that they will leave the cemetery at the time of the resurrection of the dead.

At the time of the resurrection, everyone will head to the Land of Israel, and therefore some cemeteries are set up so that the feet of the dead face the direction that one would take to travel to Israel. For instance, in cemeteries in Europe, the dead were buried with their feet to the east, and in others with their feet to the south.

Because Israel is southeast of Eastern Europe, one would travel either east to Turkey and then south, or first south to the Mediterranean and then east. Book Online. Home Memorials Information What way should a headstone face. What way should a headstone face? How to correctly position a headstone There is a wide range of religious and traditional influences that affect the way a headstone is positioned, some of which are still seen today.

Traditional headstone procedures You might have heard that you should face a headstone to the east. Book an experienced memorials specialist here. How do you write a Death Notice? Headstones Angel Headstones. The family burial ground on the family farm was the first of the frontier cemeteries. The custom of family burial grounds kept its strong hold on the rural south, especially in the Appalachian and Cumberland Mountain areas.

The local church cemetery came next, but while the family farm and the local church cemeteries were frequently surveyed, the determination of true east was not usually established. They simply did not have the luxury of good surveys, and it is unlikey that even a compass was used later to determine true east for the graves. Undoubtedly, the east direction was determined by sunrise and that changed every day of the year.

In early land records, we often find disparities between legal descriptions and the actual surveys. Some old tombstones and grave markers are placed in a position where the front is facing west.

Even if the tombstone faces west, the deceased might be placed facing east. There are claims that certain ministers such as priests, cardinals, and bishops are buried in a west-facing position. This is due to the belief that they will continue to look after their flocks even in the afterlife and guide them when the second coming arrives.

This is the most practical reason of all. One of the most significant reasons why some graves face west instead of the east is because of the availability of land and plots. Not all cemeteries have large burial areas and it becomes necessary to compromise at some point. Other cemeteries choose to position graves facing west to begin with in order to maximize space. Another reason for west-facing graves is to provide maintenance workers the best availability to maneuver and work throughout the graveyard.

Some cemeteries choose to alternate the way they bury so that one grave faces east and the next faces west. In this manner, those who visit have more space and privacy when paying respects to the deceased. To a certain extent, it doesn't matter how one is buried or which direction one is facing when laid to rest. Ultimately, what matters most is the life that has been lived, and carrying out the personal wishes of the deceased regarding their final resting place. Icons sourced from FlatIcon.

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