Grave
Grave
A grave is a prepared place in the ground where a person who has died is buried. It provides the physical space into which the coffin or casket is placed during Interment.
The place, not the act. A grave is the physical space where a person is buried. Interment is the act of placing the person into that space, while Burial describes the broader process of returning the person to the ground.
A grave is prepared before the funeral. Cemetery staff generally prepare the grave before the coffin or casket arrives. This may involve excavating the grave to the required depth and dimensions, preparing the surrounding area and installing the equipment needed to safely lower the coffin or casket.
The grave and the plot are different. A grave is the physical excavation in which the person is buried. A plot or burial right refers to the allocation or right to use a particular place within a cemetery. A cemetery invoice may therefore have separate charges for the reservation or purchase of a plot and for the Interment itself.
A place for a coffin or casket. The dimensions and construction of a grave need to accommodate the particular coffin or casket being used and the requirements of the cemetery. Graves may also be designed to accommodate more than one interment, such as where a cemetery permits later burial of another family member in the same grave.
The final part of a graveside. At a Graveside, family and friends may gather around the grave while the coffin or casket is lowered into it. The ceremony may include words, readings, music, rituals or participation by those gathered before the grave is closed.
A permanent place of connection. For many families, the grave becomes a physical place to return to after the funeral. A Headstone, Plaque or other memorial can identify the person and provide a lasting place for remembrance.
Not every grave looks the same. Graves can be found in formal cemeteries, lawn cemeteries, natural burial grounds and, where permitted, on private land. The appearance, memorialisation and ongoing maintenance of a grave can vary considerably according to the location and the wishes of the family.
A grave is ultimately the physical place in which a person is buried — a place where the act of interment takes place and which may become a lasting place of remembrance.