Means of perpetuating the memory of the deceased, the tombstone represents a channel through which the family of a loved one who has disappeared reminds everyone of the deceased person and the personality they embodied. As a result, the tombstone or funerary monument is of paramount importance for meditation, especially in the eyes of the relatives of the deceased.
Its place in the grieving process is all the more reinforced, when we know that it is literally the last resting place of the deceased person. Thus, the tombstone must be perfect. the aim of satisfying the different families at the time of the funeral but also in order to pay tribute to the deceased.
Coping with the death of loved ones is quite a painful process and not often easy to accept, yet you have to do it well. There are several processes that help us better say goodbye to people who have left us, and one of them is the tombstone.
Funeral marble workers have a multitude of offers. Funeral monuments are therefore divided into a very varied range of choices and prices. In reality, you have so many possibilities of choice, that you will easily risk getting lost.
this article, we are going to talk about the factors that can influence the choice of a best tombstone to honor the deceased.
What is the tombstone?
To put it in simple terms, a headstone is that structure or monument that is placed over the grave of the deceased . In general, it is the members of the family who place it on the grave. It represents the last link that unites the living and the deceased.
You can decorate it with funerary ornaments such as a funeral vase , natural or artificial flowers, a planter, a funeral plaque and write or engrave sentences or quotations, in addition to the name, date of birth and death. , and if necessary, a personalized message such as an epitaph. Some people may even add a photo to the tombstone (especially when they don’t have a stele), depending on the type of material used to make it.
In general, the tombstone has an area of 2 m², with a thickness of at least 5cm . It is essentially composed of several parts:
The sole : As its name suggests, this is the part of the device that is in direct contact with the ground.
The base : a kind of building that serves to lift the whole structure;
The stele : which is this vertical and visible element on which one can bring engravings, inscriptions and the photo, deposit or seal a funerary plaque;
The tomb : it is used to cover the base. It is on the tombstone that you can place flowers, symbolic objects and other types of ornaments in honor of the deceased person who rests inside, on the day of the funeral ceremonies or after.
What choices do you have when it comes to headstones?
You may have noticed that when it comes to tombstones, the range of choices is really wide. Craftsmen have so many models, competing in beauty with each other. However, we can circumscribe all these models of tombstone, in three main categories:
Simple or refined tombstones :
They do not have a stele, and often no foundation. They are sometimes limited to the tomb directly placed on the sole.
Classic headstones :
This is the most widespread category, they resemble the model we presented above, with 4 elements: the sole, the base, the tombstone and the stele, bearing a funerary plaque with all the information for use.
Complex headstones :
They have various shapes and sizes and are very personalized. You have the free choice according to the regulations of the cemetery and the municipality to personalize them as you see fit, of course respecting the standards.
Choosing a tombstone
The choice of the model of funerary monument to adopt depends on many factors:
This may seem like quite a complicated task, as we all want the best headstone possible for our departed loved ones. It is true that these monuments represent all the meaning that the person had in the lives of other people. Also, many people try to imagine the best they could have given to honor the person’s life.
Choosing a tombstone will obviously depend on several factors. Not only should it be considered the monument that best reflects the personality of the deceased person, but it is also the best farewell gift you can give them, to honor the times you spent together.
Here are some important criteria that come into play when choosing a headstone:
The material used : The construction material of the tombstone is also very important. It’s not just an aesthetic choice. The different materials are all loaded with a certain symbol, and each give a particular charm to the funerary monument. It is possible to use different materials to construct your tombstone. However, the most used are marble and granite.
Marble and granite are two natural stones highly appreciated by craftsmen. Prestigious, they give an aura of nobility to the funerary monument. It should be noted that they are also appreciated, because of the ease they offer, in terms of maintenance. The choice of material is very important.
The more solid it is, the more your tombstone will have a better life expectancy. You must therefore choose a material that can withstand heat, rain and cold. If granite and marble have long been the most used materials, we notice the appearance of new materials that are quite resistant. These are bronze, glass, steel and Chromaflym.
The shape : traditionally, it is rectangular;
The size : this will be the dimensions of the tombstone.
The budget : defined according to the means available for the funeral ceremonies.
The values of the deceased : what he paid attention to in his life;
The beliefs of the deceased : Religion is also an important parameter, not to be overlooked if you want to choose the best tombstone for one of your deceased loved ones.
The Christian religion doesn’t really have any requirements when it comes to tombstones. However, Christian funerary monuments are distinguished by the sign of the cross engraved or carved on the stele.
