Finding ways to celebrate a loved one’s memory becomes vital for many after they pass away, as losing a loved one is always a tough event. While flower arrangements and other tributes are typical, there is a specific meaning associated with laying pennies on gravestones, especially for veterans and service members and their families.
A Tradition Worth Keeping
Though its exact roots are unknown, some have speculated that the custom of laying coins on gravestones originated during the Roman Empire. However, according to Snopes, there is insufficient evidence to back up this assertion. However, one thing is certain: people who have a strong bond with military people are aware of the sacrifices they make and are looking for a significant way to remember their lost colleagues.
It became increasingly difficult for people to express their emotions honestly during the Vietnam War. It became customary to place a coin on a soldier’s tomb to signify that someone had paid them a visit without running the danger of awkward talks regarding the political sides of the conflict. The gesture was a straightforward but effective way for people to express respect and unity.
Symbolic Honor Representations
Every penny placed on a gravestone has a special meaning associated with it. Here are few instances:
A penny is a sign that someone has paid their respects and visited the tomb.
Deeper emotional significance can be derived from a nickel, which represents a bond between the individual who left it and the dead soldier from boot camp.
A dime signifies cooperation, even if it was just briefly before splitting up.
The most important coin, the quarter, acts as a monument by informing the bereaved family that the person who left the coin was there during their time of grief.
These coins remind us of the sacrifices made by those who serve in the military and act as tangible representations of respect and tribute, bridging the gap between the past and present.
Past Gravestones
Not all military traditions involve coins, such as placing money on gravestones. Military troops are big fans of challenge coins, which have no monetary worth but are extremely significant. These coins, which stand for oneness, are frequently traded as trophies of friendship and honor.
Throughout history, coins have also had a variety of roles in cultural practices. They have been regarded as representations of good fortune, giving, and even riches. While this isn’t always the case, some people in the past were buried with their riches. For instance, it’s been reported that two dollars and fifty cents were buried with Abraham Lincoln’s eyes covered.
The deeper significance of laying pennies on gravestones is to commemorate and recognize the extraordinary efforts made by those who are serving in the military and their families, even though there may not be a clear relationship between money and this practice. It serves as a reminder to ourselves that their sacrifices are priceless.
Lisa Marie Presley had a deeply emotional reason for keeping her son Benjamin’s body on dry ice after his passing.
After her son Benjamin passed away, Lisa Marie Presley kept his body on dry ice for two months for a very heartbreaking reason. Just under four years had gone since the terrible suicide death of her son Benjamin Keough, when Lisa Marie, 54, passed away in January 2023.
Lisa Marie, the sole child of Elvis Presley, departed from her twin children, Harper and Finley Lockwood, who are 16 years old, and her daughter Riley Keough, who is a star of Daisy Jones & The Six. Riley finished a book she had written, From Here to the Great Unknown, and it was published on October 8 following her death.
In her memoir, Lisa Marie discussed Benjamin’s sudden passing in 2020 and disclosed that she had held his body for two months before burying him in a casita bedroom. As she had explained to her father, Elvis Presley, “there is no law in California that requires someone to be buried immediately,” and she felt it was important to give Benjamin the time she needed to say goodbye.
Lisa Marie was just nine years old when Elvis passed away, so having his body at home and being able to visit and talk with him had been consoling. Throughout that time, she kept Benjamin’s remains at 55 degrees while debating whether to bury him in Graceland or Hawaii.
She acknowledged in the biography, “I became so accustomed to him being there, taking care of him… I was grateful that I could continue to raise him until I was ready to say goodbye, even if it was only for a short while longer.
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