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During the time of the Roman Empire, as a way of leaving money for the deceased in the hereafter, people would place a coin on the headstone to indicate they had visited. The tradition continued after the Vietnam War on Remembrance Day as a popular way to pay one’s respects to fallen soldiers.
The coin denomination indicated your relationship to the deceased. For example, if you left a:
- Penny – it meant the grave was visited and respects were paid
- Nickle – it meant the visitor spent time with the deceased
- Dime – it meant the visitor served with the soldier at some point in time
- Quarter – it meant the visitor was present at the time the soldier died
While we may not be leaving coins on the headstones today, people do still want to be remembered. In the Jewish tradition people will place a stone on top of the headstone to indicate that they remember and have visited the grave of the deceased.
There are monument companies that now embed Quick Response codes (QR) in the headstone or monument. When a person scans the QR code they get a detailed history of the deceased.
Another way to honor our fallen and current service and reserve people is to attend a Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in your area at 11:00 am on November 11th.
How will you remember our service and reserve members? As always, I welcome your feedback. You can connect with me via email or telephone, leave a comment here on the site or click the contact tab at the bottom of the screen if you are reading this post on the website. Don’t forget to join in the conversation on Facebook and Twitter too!
Until next time,
Kat
Katherine Downey is the #1 Funeral Preplanning Professional in Canada for the fourth time. She is a professional educator, author, radio host, licensed funeral director and insurance advisor. To set an appointment or have your questions answered, please contact Kat directly.
