The wreaths on my mother's grave were burned by a candle. Crosses on the grave: signs and religious rules. Signs at funerals and cemeteries

Everything related to death has been used in fortune telling and witchcraft since ancient times. In our times, nothing has changed; as a rule, ancient teachings are used for magical rituals.


The basis of such rituals is a recent burial, up to 40 days, when the soul of the deceased is still close to the body. It also happens that witches come to the cemetery in search of a funeral procession and, while grieving relatives say goodbye to their loved ones, they can either put something in the coffin, or, conversely, take something.

What to do if traces of someone else’s presence are left on the grave of a loved one, obviously not with good intentions?

Strange objects


If you find objects at the grave that were not brought there, under no circumstances take anything or touch it. If a witchcraft ritual was performed at this place, then the witch takes her ritual things, such as candles, animal skulls, books and others, with her. At the grave she can only leave the so-called ransom for the deceased, that is, a sacrifice that she gives to the deceased as a sign of gratitude. It could be anything - money, a doll, a bottle of alcohol, a deck of cards, a bouquet of flowers.


  • Some healers advise not to do anything with such things and leave everything as it is, justifying this by the fact that this is a gift to the deceased, and the thing no longer belongs to this world.

  • Others advise sprinkling the object with holy water, picking it up with a newspaper or dustpan, and then throwing it into running water.


Whatever method is chosen, in any case it is necessary to order a prayer service for the repose in the church (under no circumstances light funeral candles in your home) and remember the deceased.


Living grave


In the vocabulary of witches and sorcerers there is such a thing as an active, or living grave. Near such a burial there is increased growth of plants, activity of animals and insects, very often there are anthills near such burials. Why is this happening?


If there are signs of an active grave, this may mean that magical rituals are regularly performed in this place. Practitioners of black magic use them to “bind” the dead to this world in order to use their capabilities. As a result, the spirit cannot rest and continues to be in the world of the living in the capacity in which it is needed in magic. Usually the witch thanks her otherworldly assistant - she regularly cleans the grave, plants flowers, and brings gifts.


To help your loved one go to another world and prevent warlocks from disturbing his spirit, the following actions are necessary:

  • Under no circumstances should you cast any spells or anything else on the grave yourself; you do not know what you are dealing with and your actions can harm both yourself and the soul of the deceased.

  • If the deceased has children, they should be the first to remember, light a candle for the repose and order Sorokoust in the church.

  • On the day of remembrance or the date of death of your relative, bake a pie and distribute it to strangers for commemoration;


Invite a priest to consecrate the grave; faith and church are the most effective methods against the effects of black magic.

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In the article:

Signs at the cemetery - what you can do

There are many superstitions associated with this place. All rules of conduct must be followed. You cannot come empty-handed - bread and other treats, leave them at the grave.

Alcohol at a funeral

It is prohibited to go to the resting place of thousands of people while intoxicated. It is also unacceptable to drink alcohol at a funeral.

Moreover, alcohol loosens the tongue, and in a cemetery it is better to watch your words so as not to offend the deceased. You will drink to the repose of your soul at the wake.

What should I say

There is such a sign:

Whatever good you say on the grave will remain on it.

You can share your experiences and joys with deceased relatives, but you should not arouse envy or excessive pity in them. Because in both cases they will want to take the speaker to themselves. A phrase like “I live so badly, it’s better to die” can become fatal. The spirits will regard this as a call to action and “come to the aid” of the sufferer who is so eager to get to the other world.

We must remember that you can only allow yourself to be open with a relative whom you trusted during your lifetime and with whom you were close. If you talk loudly and brag about your victories at someone else’s grave, then all the good things will go to the relatives of its occupant.

Refrain from showdowns and swearing among the graves. The sign says that whoever comes to the cemetery to quarrel will live in eternal squabbles.

Is it possible to take things from a grave?

Of course not. Remember this rule yourself and explain it to your children: the house is the territory of the living, and everything that is in the cemetery belongs to this place. Taking anything from there is a very bad omen.

Bringing cemetery soil is the same as recognizing your home as part of a cemetery. For spirits, it will be "marked" as their sphere of influence. It will take the help of a very powerful magician to clear the home of the grave seal.

To pick something up from a grave means to take that thing away from a dead person. And the deceased are very jealous of what belongs to them.

Is it possible to count money in a cemetery?

There is another well-known sign: if you count the money on the grave, you will part with it forever. Banknotes fell out - do not touch them. Even a large amount should remain there.

If you raise money from cemetery land, because of your carelessness and greed, you can create problems and illnesses and spend much more money on solving them than you could have saved.

I had to get my wallet from the cemetery - leave the coins on the grave. It’s better at the tombstone of a relative or at least namesake.

Is it possible to take pictures at a cemetery?

Most signs say that it is impossible, since this is a place where negative energy accumulates. There is a well-known mystical connection between a person and his image in a photo - the picture will bear the imprint of all the negativity of that place.

If you imprint yourself in the kingdom of the dead, you will either attract them to you, or you yourself will soon go there.

It is especially reckless to take a photo near the coffin of a deceased person, as well as on graves less than forty days old. It has long been known that this period is not accidental; that is how long the negative energy that was released during a person’s death is preserved. The soul of the deceased is among the living, finding no peace. The consequences of such a photo can be disastrous - even leading to the appearance of serious illnesses.

It is believed that memories of this belief have been preserved since ancient times in the word “term”. “The deadline has passed” means forty days have passed.

By photographing, you can disturb the souls of people buried in the graves that are captured in the frame. They will return to their home or visit the person who took the photo. In this case, it is quite possible to encounter.

The cemetery is used not only for burying the dead. This is one of the main places for black rituals. Here, they ask, and the witches are here. It is imbued with powerful negative information that will remain in the picture.

It doesn't matter whether the photo is paper or electronic. The second option is even worse, because digital photographs are easily copied. Don't post them on the Internet.

Storing “dead” images is fraught with deterioration of the atmosphere in the home, illness of household members and the emergence of problems in relationships, money matters and other aspects. Children especially suffer from such sources of negativity - they are more susceptible to magical attacks than adults.

If there are already similar photos in the house, and you have no desire to part with them, despite the bad omens, store them face down, so that the image is not visible. You can pack the source of the negative in a thick envelope.

Signs at funerals and cemeteries

Farewell to one's final journey is a very serious undertaking. :

  • stand not in black clothes, but in white or multi-colored ones;
  • talk loudly, show disrespect for the deceased;
  • take any things from the coffin (even if the deceased promised to give them during his lifetime);
  • tell stories that are not related to the topic of the event;
  • speak ill of the deceased;
  • wear open shoes (bare toes, heels).

To get rid of the negative energy of a place, you should take a bottle of holy water with you and wash your face, hands and feet on the way out. You can only leave the cemetery the way you came.

Sign - if you fell in a cemetery

This sign indicates that the fallen person is drawn to the grave earth, and perhaps to him. Anyone who falls at a funeral needs to urgently leave the cemetery. After this, you need to read a prayer over him three times “ Our Father", wash with holy water and cross with a burning church candle.

If a monument fell in a cemetery

In this case, they say that it is the restless soul of the deceased that makes itself felt. If something is holding a person back in this world, he will try to figure out what is causing the delay.

Perhaps the deceased has an unfinished mission or needs to protect family or friends from something - the spirit will try in every possible way to contact them. A fallen monument is a clear sign that the soul wants to be heard. You should seek help from a medium and find out what your relative needs.

A cat at a funeral is a bad omen

In ancient Egypt, cats were considered intermediaries between the living and the dead. According to legends, these animals could speak on behalf of the deceased and even temporarily provide a refuge for his soul.

There should be no pets in the room where the deceased lies. This is especially true for cats. As soon as an accident occurs, they need to be taken out of the house. Or better yet, send him to live with relatives for a while.

The cat is eager to return to the new dead man. It is especially dangerous if the animal goes to sleep under the coffin with the deceased. This suggests that soon another grief will happen in the family.

It is better to drive away an animal that joins the procession, but show respect to it. Do not kick or push - someone else's spirit may come in his image. Throw aside a gift that you wouldn’t mind - pay it off.

If a cat jumps on the deceased or the coffin lid, this foretells the death of the person closest to the deceased. In some countries, they believe that this behavior of a cat indicates a terrible prediction in the form of a vampire or ghoul for the deceased.

Much depends on the color of the cat encountered in the churchyard. Of course, signs pay special attention to black individuals. It is believed that in their guise there may be a witch or a necromancer magician. According to ancient legends, they are receptacles for the souls of sinners. The white cat is the embodiment of a righteous man who has not completed some work in the world of the living. But meeting him does not bode well; it is a sign of illness or serious danger.

Probably everyone has witnessed a sign in a cemetery that later came true. You should definitely not miss the signs that fate points to. You need to know at least a few superstitions, and then you will know what may raise red flags and what you should not attach importance to.

They have special signs at funerals and in the cemetery:

  • You cannot bring fresh or artificial flowers from the cemetery, otherwise you risk getting sick.
  • The same applies to any thing taken from there. By taking it, you can get other people's misfortunes.
  • It is better to put the deceased’s favorite things in a coffin or bring them to the grave so that he does not come in a dream with requests to give them back.
  • Eating or drinking alcoholic beverages in the cemetery is also prohibited. Commemorating the deceased with food is an ancient pagan ritual that does not fit with Christian beliefs. Better give it to the poor and visit the temple, order a memorial service for the deceased. This way of honoring the dead is more acceptable and spiritually beneficial.
  • Livestock is poured after the convoy carrying the coffin box so that no one else in the household will die.
  • Meeting a funeral procession on the street, passing in front of a moving hearse or people carrying relics, promises danger and grief to the passerby.
  • It happens that the coffin does not fit into the prepared hole. In this case, they say that the land refuses to accept the sinner or that after the deceased there will be another dead person.
  • On the contrary, a good sign for a person who has passed on to the next world will be to find an old burial with intact bones in the grave being prepared. The belief says that the deceased will find consolation in the afterlife, and will not bother his relatives, coming to them in dreams and hallucinations.
  • You shouldn’t brag about your good life in a cemetery, otherwise you’ll lose your luck here.
  • Counting money during a funeral is a bad omen; you will become a beggar. If you accidentally take the bills out of your pocket, you will have to leave them here. It can be on the grave of the person who was buried, or on the grave of a person with the same name as the owner of the money.

There are also traditions that are observed in the outback. For example, when taking a coffin with a body out of the house on a sleigh for a funeral service, the owner is supposed to look under the hooves of a horse harnessed to a cart or stick a needle without an eye into the clamp. This is only a small part of the existing ones.

The monument on the grave sank or fell

A priori, the sign of a broken tombstone cannot promise anything good. Provided that the monument has deteriorated without human intervention, then in the near future there will be another dead person in the family of the deceased.

It doesn’t matter what damage the burial place received: whether the cross simply broke, the gravestone cracked, or the ground sank and a deep hole formed. Each change threatens the relatives of the person lying here with another death. However, you can understand who the old woman with the scythe will look at next time by determining which side the earth collapsed from:

  • from the southern side - a man will die;
  • from the northern “fell” - a woman will die;
  • the eastern edge has subsided - an elderly family member will die;
  • the earth has left the west - death will take the little child.

Speaking about the burial place, it should be noted that the graves of evil and sinful people are covered with bad herbs: nettle, thistle, wolfberry. And where the righteous man is buried, lilies, forget-me-nots, hawthorn or roses grow.

Cat, dog in a cemetery - sign

The dead know how to transmit information through various animals and birds. It is not for nothing that in the old days birds were considered the embodiment of souls that had lost their human bodies. But birds flying over a graveyard or a house where a dead person lies are not as dangerous as a cat, which was considered a mythical animal by the ancient Egyptians.

Here's what cat signs say:

  • Pets were removed from the home where death occurred for a while so that the spirit of the deceased would not move into its pet.
  • Which, lying at the base of the coffin, shows that the matter will not be completed with the deceased alone, the bony one will take someone else.
  • Murka, who joined the funeral procession on the way to the churchyard, should be driven away. However, do this not with kicks and screams, but with due respect, by treating your furry escort to some food.
  • Don't worry if you see a cat sneaking past in the cemetery. It was just someone's spirit coming to look at a new deceased friend.

Dog in the cemetery- a negative sign and omen, especially if it hovers around the coffin. Lies under it - to another quick death.

Previously, it was believed that a black dog in a cemetery was a rebel ghoul or evil spirit. If a dog barks or howls during a funeral, it disturbs the spirits and calls them. In any case, dogs that sense the subtle worlds were always treated with caution, walked away from the animal, and did not welcome it.

A sign if you fell on a grave

Weak, impressionable natures, small children, elderly people who move poorly, etc.
Undoubtedly, paying your last respects to the deceased and honoring his memory by attending the funeral means showing the moral and ethical norm prescribed by society.

But it would be completely out of place if such a person, having become overexcited or stumbled, falls on the territory of the burial ground. He is destined for sudden death. Even simply stumbling while passing between the graves means a warning about the negative impact received here.

Superstition advises a fallen person to immediately retire home, and then read “Our Father” three times, wash with holy water, light a church candle and cross himself with it.

It doesn’t matter to the soul where a loved one remembers it. In a cemetery, in a temple or in a conversation with family. The main thing is that it is sincere, and the memories are of a bright, kind nature.

In a separate line, it is important to mention a common question: is it possible to take photographs in a cemetery? There is no sign as such, but photographs from the graveyard will not decorate a home album. But they can attract negativity into the monastery.

Is it possible to take pictures at a cemetery?

By taking photographs against the backdrop of many graves, you capture the invisible world of the spirits of the deceased and otherworldly entities, which will later easily find their way to you.

Not only signs at funerals and cemeteries warn of mortal danger. Around any person living on the planet there are a lot of signs indicating an unfavorable development of events or a threat to health. For example, a certain one is a harbinger of trouble.

Only a few have the ability to read omens, although there is nothing difficult in learning. You just need to be moderately attentive and not forget your cultural heritage - folk signs left by ancestors for descendants are time-tested.

Life and death are two inseparable components of the earthly existence of the human soul. Different peoples have developed certain burial rules that are carefully passed down from generation to generation. According to Christian customs, the deceased are buried; on the day of burial, a wooden eight-pointed cross is placed on the grave, and flowers are laid. When are wreaths removed from a grave after a funeral and is it necessary to do so? Let's try to answer these questions based on church canons and folk traditions.

The cross as a symbol of the incorruptibility of the soul

According to Christian customs, the cross should be placed at the feet of the deceased so that the face of the deceased is turned towards the crucifix. This rule is often neglected, placing a cross in our heads. Another church canon is often violated - screwing a photograph of a deceased relative to a cross. There is no need to do this, just hang up a sign with the name and dates of birth/death.

For the Orthodox, the cross is the traditional form of a tombstone; the top of the head, rising upward, points to heaven - the place of residence of the soul freed from the mortal body. According to established traditions, flowers are laid on the grave and funeral wreaths are placed as a tribute to memory and respect for the deceased.

Which flowers are better, fresh or artificial?

Maintaining order in a cemetery is not so much a spiritual aspect as a social one. Agree that the deceased does not care at all what his grave looks like. The living need this - so that they have somewhere to come in moments of sorrow or joy, to ask for advice or receive a blessing. The question of when wreaths are removed from a grave after a funeral according to church canons should not have existed in principle. In any case, until the middle of the last century such a problem did not arise.

The thing is that, according to Christian customs, graves were decorated with fresh flowers, the lifespan of which is short. So they were removed within the first few days. It is possible and necessary to clean the burial site of unnecessary parts and bring it into proper shape at any time. This is what most clergy think. Moreover, according to the canons of the church, artificial flowers, which have replaced real ones today, are a symbol of lies and hypocrisy.

Link to the fortieth memorial day

In Soviet times, when special observances were not observed, a tradition arose of laying flowers made of light fabric or paper on graves. Today, funeral wreaths are made of plastic, which significantly extends their service life. These funeral attributes can be left in the open air without damaging their appearance for several months and even years.

People who are deeply religious, when asked when they remove wreaths from a grave after a funeral according to church canons, usually answer: by the fortieth day after burial. In fact, there are no strict church rules on this matter.

The validity of this statement can be explained by the established custom in Orthodoxy, after 40 days after the funeral, to invite a priest to the grave of the deceased to perform a funeral service. It is highly desirable that the place be beautifully and cleanly tidied up before the priest arrives. But let us repeat: there are no prohibitions on restoring order in burial places before this date.

How to care for a grave

Caring for graves, according to the clergy, should be carried out regularly, as needed. Removing wilted flowers, replacing wreaths that have become unusable, correcting crumbled soil - this can be done at any time. In this way, the living pay tribute to the dead, show others and, first of all, themselves that the memory and love for the departed do not fade in their hearts.

When wreaths are removed from a grave after a funeral, if the soil settles, it is corrected with a shovel, giving the mound the correct shape. The surface can be covered with green turf and perennial flowers can be planted around. Chrysanthemums, zinnias, marigolds, daffodils, and lilies of the valley take root well and do not require constant care. In this case, there is no need to use artificial attributes.

What to do with wreaths that have become unusable

Each cemetery has specially designated areas for storing such items, which are ultimately household waste that must be disposed of. Many countries are gradually abandoning the use of artificial wreaths, since recycling plastic requires additional costs and is harmful to the environment.

Imagine a huge city cemetery where hundreds of burials take place every day. Naturally, when wreaths are removed from a grave after a funeral, whole piles of unnecessary funeral paraphernalia are formed, which are then taken to a landfill. In rural areas, wreaths that have served their purpose are simply burned somewhere nearby. The acrid smell of plastic released not only pollutes the environment, but also disrupts the blissful atmosphere inside the village churchyard.

On what days should you not clean the cemetery?

According to church regulations, it is forbidden to clean, paint fences, plant flowers and trees on graves on all Sundays, and even more so on Orthodox holidays. Such actions are considered a sin and a sign of disrespect for the church.

In addition, there are certain periods when you should not go to the cemetery at all. These include:

  • Holidays (from 7 to 20 January).
  • Maundy Thursday, Good Friday and Holy Saturday.
  • Easter and the following Bright Week.
  • Days of the twelve holidays.
  • Any Sundays.

Visiting the deceased usually begins on Radonitsa (parents' day), which falls on Tuesday, sixteen days after Easter.

Is a monument needed?

The Orthodox Church condemns any excesses in the arrangement of burial sites. But since many of us do not consider ourselves deeply religious, over the past few decades the custom has developed of installing monuments on graves. As a rule, such monuments are made of marble or granite and cast from various types of metal. You can often hear in response to the question of when to erect a monument after a funeral, the statement: no earlier than twelve months. Why is that?

Some explain this by the need to maintain a period of 1 year, after which any manipulations on the grave of the deceased will not be able to disturb him. According to popular beliefs, after 12 months the soul of the deceased finally leaves our world. It is quite possible that there is some rational grain in such reasoning. No one has ever been able to look beyond the edges of eternal darkness.

Interestingly, workshops that make heavy tombstones will tell you the same thing. Only the basis will be more mundane, without reference to afterlife mythology. So, when to erect a monument after a funeral? Only when the soil on the grave is completely compacted will it give final shrinkage. This process in most cases requires at least one year. Otherwise, the metal or stone structure may become uneven, warp, fall, or become deformed due to the movement of soil layers.

The cross is not a hindrance to the monument

Now we know where and when wreaths are removed from the grave after the funeral. But according to Orthodox customs, crosses installed during burial should be handled with care. Even if you decide to perpetuate the memory of a deceased relative in marble or bronze, the cross must be left in place. In this case, the monument is installed either next to the cross or on the opposite side from it.

In some cases, the cross can be placed next to the grave or, in agreement with the clergyman, burned in a church oven. It seems that in any case, external manifestations of respect for the deceased are not so important. The main thing is spiritual kinship and memory living in our heart.