Do You Know Why You Should Never Take A Coin From A Gravestone?

Apr 30, 2018 by apost team

Throughout human history, people have had various rituals to bury and honor their dead. Nowadays, the most common tradition is to bury someone under a gravestone and leave flowers for them. However, some people still follow an old tradition of leaving coins.

People might be tempted to take these coins, especially kids who believe that pocket change can make them a fortune, but you should understand the reasons why those coins are left. Once you understand the tradition, you'll never want to disturb a grave again.

Many people strongly believe that disrespecting the dead can bring a lot of unshakeable negativity to your life.

The practice of leaving coins on graves is believed to have originated from the Vietnam war. Loved ones left coins so that soldiers could afford their first beer in heaven. In fact, each coin has its own special meaning.
 

Leaving a penny behind means that someone has visited their grave and wants to thank the deceased for their service.

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A nickel is left behind by someone who trained with the deceased in boot camp.

Someone who served in the war with the deceased will leave behind a dime.

A quarter is left behind by someone who was there when the soldier passed away.
 

Coins are moved by groundkeepers, but they go to a good cause. The money raised is either used to maintain the grounds or funded for families' burial costs to alleviate their burden. This is why you should never steal the coins.
 

Here are 5 other interesting facts about graveyards:
 

Graves used to be covered with a pile of stones instead of a tombstone. Families usually collected their own stones from their garden to be more meaningful.

Graves now face the east so that the deceased can see the sunrise each day.

Animals on graves have a special and unique meaning to each family. Lambs are commonly carved where children are buried.

There are tons of other symbols people use to tell stories about the deceased. For example, flowers or broken trees mean the deceased died too soon. Clasped hands are often left behind on graves for couples who wish to reunite again in the afterlife.

The Washington Monument is the largest obelisk in the world. Obelisks are used to respect several dead without using individual gravestones.

Did you know the reason why coins are left on gravestones? Make sure everyone you know is aware so we can all honor the dead!