The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-12-02
DECORATING THE GRAVE WITH FLOWERS
L. l.. SMITH.
Reg. Try Of u. s.

There is kind of paihos end touching tenderness
of Affection which language cannot reach and which
is calculated 10 perpetuate kind of soothing SYM
patty between the living and the dead. They speak
Of cords Of love, too strong for even the grave 10
break asunder. The practice, no doubt, gave TO
the ancient custom which prevailed in the East of
buryng in gardens, and is one which conduccs to the
qualification Of the best feelings Of our nature Il
prevailed generally in and about the Holy City and
also ameng the Modes and Persians Grecians and
Romans. The Persians adopted it from the Modes,
the Grecians from the Persons. In Rome persons
Of distinction were buried in gardens or fields near
the public roads. Their monuments were decorated
with chaplets and garlanGs Of flowers.
The tomb of Achilles was decorated with amar-
anth the grave of Sopoclcs with roses and ivy that
of Anacreon with ivy and foarets. Baskets Of IL
lies, voiets, and roses were placed in the grave Of
husbands and wives white on those of unmar-
ried females in Java, the Inhabitants scatter flow
ers the bodies Of their friends In China the
custom of planting flowers the graves Of their
friends is of very ancient date and still PREVAILS
The natives Of Surat strew fresh flowers on the
graves of their saints every year.
In Iripoli, the tomhs are decorated with garlands
of roses, of Arabian jcssamne and orange and myr-
tie flowers.
in Schwytz, village in Switzerland, there is
beautiful little church yard, in which almost every
grave is covered with pinks. In The elegant church
yard in Wiriin in the valley Of Salza in Germany
the graves are covered with little obong boxes
which are planted with perennial shrubs, or renewed
with annual flowers and Others are so dressed on
icte days Suspe ded from the ornaments Of recent
graves, are little vases filled with water in which the
flowers are preserved fresh. Children are often
Sem thus dressing tie graves of their moihers-and
mothers wrealhns gariands for the graves Of ,heir
children
late traveller, on going early in the morning into
one OF the church-yards in the village Of Wrin, saw
SIX or seven persons decorating the graves of their
friends, and Of some who had been buried twenty
years What delightful and profitable school for
The affections would such afford the vsiters of
the New Haven Cemetery This custom also pre-
walls IN Scotland, and North and nth Wales. An
cpitaph there says:
The village maidens 10 her grave shall brig
The fragrant garland, each returning spring
Selected sweets in emblem of the maid
Who underneath this haowed turf IS laid"
In Wales, children have snow-droIs prmroscs
vioets, hazel bloom, and saow blossoms on their
graves Persons Of mature years have tansy box
and rue. In South Wales, no flowers are permitted
to be planted on graves but those which are sweet
scented Pink, polyantbus, sweet-williams gllig1v-
ers, carnations, mgnionettc, thyme, hyssop camo-
mile and rosemary. The red roses are appropriated
to the graves OF good and benevolent persons.
In Easter week most graves are newly dressed and
manfred with fresh earth, la Wbitsqulido holy days,
they again dressed, weeded and il necessary re-
planted No person ever breaks or sturts flowers
thus planted il is considered sacrilege. To the
/ shame OF some deprayed wretches | saw that il is
not so in New Haven.
In Cabui, buryng grounds are held in great vene-
ration, and called Cities Of the Sill M The Jews
called them Houses Of the Dead The Egyptians visit
ed the graves Of their friends twice a week and
strewed sweet BAIL on them-and do to this day.
WINE the custom of decorating graves and grave
yards with flowers, and ornamental trees and shrubs
mas prevailed so long and extensively among ancient
ana modern civilized nations some of the American
aoorigInes will not permit weed or blade of grass
nor any other vegetable to grow upon the graves of
their friends. With few exceptions there has hihcr-
10 oecn IN our country strange remssness on this
subject which would su, prise the heather Graves
ana urcl-yards are left to the course of gradual
diapidaton aud decay which ever follow IN the
train OF moral degradalion.-.Nttc Haren Palladium