The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1878-08-05
Graves and Flowers.

The custom of adorning the graves of
the departed with hfowers-'emblems of
beauty that fades so quickly and the
life that is so short has existed in all
countries and in every age. The
ancient Greeks observes q writer on
the subject. crowned the dead with
wreaths of flowers, and the mourners
wore them at the celebration OF the
funeral rites. The ancient Egyptians
placed garlands on the heshless brows
of the skeletons which they introduced
at their banquets. TO remind them in
the most solemn and impressive manner
that in life We are in death The
practice of strewing and planting graves
with flowers was observed among the
Romans, as appears from an ancient
inscription at Ravenns, and another at
Milan. in which roses are ordered to he
annusliy strewed and planted on the
graves of those whose wishes are thus
recorded. The death-wreaths of the
Greeks are composed of amaranths
(embleDs OF Immortality and polyan-
thuses. The Persians adorn the graves
of their departed relatives With sweet
basil; and the tombs in the cemeteries
at Syria are garianded with festoons of
jessamine, roses, aid orange and myrtle
blossoms. Among the primitive
Christians this beautiful custom was at
first discouraged, as savoring of pagan
ism; but the feelings which prompt it
are too deeply rooted in the human
heart 20 be completely eradicated
! Notwithstanding the objections of the
fathers. it continued to be praclised,
and is still. both in Europe and in our
country. In Italy the graves of chill
dren are decked with the bright blue
flowers of the periwinkle-and creep
ing shrubs with glossy dark-green
leaves. In Germany and Switzerland,
the custom of decking graves with
/ flowers is very common The GENET
ries around Paris exhibit proofs of the
/ extent to which this custom has been
/ preserved among town population,
and In the capital of people who
once abolished Christianity, shut up the
church, and proclaimed death and
eternal sleep. There were many al
lusions in the works of the authors of
the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries
to the custom of strewing flowers on
graves, and especially in the case of
young maidens. Thus, i'll Hamlet,
the Queen, scattering flowers on the
grave of Ophelia, says
Sweets to the sweet Farewell
/ hoped thy bride-bed to have decked.
sweet maid,
Aid not have strewn thy grave"
No flowers or evergreens are permit
ted to be planted on graves but such as
are sweet scented the pink and polyan-
thus. sweet williaZa. gilli-flowers and
carnations. mignonette. thyme, hyssop,
camomile and rosemary make up the
pious decoration OF this consecrated
garden The white rose is always
planted on virgins tomb. The red
rose is appropriate to the grave OF any
person distinguished for goodness, and
especially benevolerce of character.
None ever molest the flowers that grow
on graves. for it is deemed a kind of
sacrilege to do so, A relation or friend
will occasionally take pink, if it can
be spared, or O sprig of thyme, from
the grave of beloved or respected
person, to wear it in remem brance;
but they never take much, lest they
should deface the growth on the grave.
This custom prevails principally in
the most retired villages.