Menu Close

Articles on Cemeteries

Displaying all articles

Many of the tombs in Japan are elaborately decorated. Nearby visitors can buy flowers, buckets. brooms and other gardening tools to tidy up the graves. John S Lander/LightRocket via Getty Images

Lack of burial space is changing age-old funeral practices, and in Japan ‘tree burials’ are gaining in popularity

In a Japanese tree burial, cremated remains are placed in the ground and a tree is planted over the ashes to mark the gravesite. Environmental responsibility is part of Buddhism.
An aerial picture of funerals taking place at a section of the Westpark cemetery in Johannesburg. Michelle Spatari/AFP via Getty Images

Cemetery design has to consider many sensitive issues: lessons from Johannesburg

Municipalities are now forced to identify new cemetery planning methods and models that are environmentally sensitive and consistent with diverse cultural practices, and facilitate social cohesion.
‘Green burials’ that use biodegradable coffins or lessen the environmental impact in other ways are on the rise. AP Photo/Michael Hill

Life after death: Americans are embracing new ways to leave their remains

Although ‘Game of Thrones’ -style funeral pyres are still out of bounds, Americans are increasingly turning to cheaper, greener and more meaningful ways to dispose of their loved ones’ bodies.
Space can be at a premium in cemeteries … and when it runs out, reusing old graves is an option. William Murphy/Flickr

Losing the plot: death is permanent, but your grave isn’t

Headstones at the Dudley Park cemetery in Payneham, South Australia, were recently bulldozed as part of the ongoing “recycling” of more than 400 graves. Some people were shocked to realise that gravesites…

Top contributors

More