Sacred image is a hot theme in funeral culture. Many devout believers carve Christian symbols on their headstone to show their passion for religion. If you want do so for your loved one, you need to understand the meaning of each sign.

Angel

Angels are deemed as the messengers between God and man, and the protector of tomb.They stands for purity and spirituality. Thus, they are often seen on personalized children gravestone. They are designed keeling or standing near a round, rectangle or heart shape stone with their eyes closing like weeping. In the past, the angels usually point towards heaven or shown in gestures of compassion. The most common adult angel is Gabriel who hold lilies in his hand. The white petal of this flower represent the innocence of Mary. Another one is Micheal who carries a sword.

Jesus

Jesus is the key figure of Christianity. Most Christians believe he is the son of God and the awaited Messiah. He talk with fellow Jews on how to best fellow God, engaged in healings, taught in parables and gathered followers. He was finally arrested and be sentenced to death by the Roman government. His followers believed that he rose from the dead. The image of Jesus often appear on grave. He was carved with the hand pointing to his sacred heart or open his arms. Another traditional image is that he hung on cross.

Virgin Mary

Granite Tombstone with virgin Mary sculpture is favored by many Christians. Mary is the mother of Jesus. She was a first-century Galilean Jewish woman .The New Testament said she conceive Jesus through the Holy Spirit while she was a virgin. She accompanied her husband Joseph to Bethlehem and Jesus was born there. Mary has been honored since early Christianity and praised by many believers to be the most worthy saint. It is said that she has appeared to believers of different countries many times over hundreds of years. She has been the most popular Christian figure and often carved on tombstones. She is shown with the gesture of worship or opening arms. In some grave, she was designed holding baby Jesus. Now matter what way she appear in, her face is always full of benevolence.

Cross

Cross is the strongest representation of Christianity. Many people like to make cross shape headstone or carve it into their tombstones. Someones will even paint their cross with golden color to show sacredness. Crosses on gravestone have different version.

Celtic Cross-The cross is linked with a circle. It symbolizes eternity. Its origin can be traced to the Celtic cultures of the British Isles.

Calvary Cross - A Latin cross standing on three steps or blocks, it signifies faith, hope and charity (or love).

Greek cross-Each arm has equal length. It was popular in the 4^th century.

Double Cross- The cross of the eight point cross stone ceremony.

Latin Cross -The cross has longer vertical arm. It is most common used in Christianity because it represent the cross of Jesus’ crucifixion.

Patriarchal cross-It is a double cross with two crossbars near the top. The upper one is shorter, standing for the plaque nailed to Jesus’ cross.

The Cross of Lorraine-The cross consists of two horizontal bars. It is relatively uncommon.

Dove

According to Matthew, when Jesus was baptized, the holy Spirit descended like a dove and came to rest on Jesus. So the dove become a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It represents the Christian soul, not human soul. However, another way of saying is that in the Bible story of Noah and the Flood, after a long time a dove returns to Noah with an olive branch as a sign that the flood had receded. Thus, people regard it as the symbol of peace. Now, you can see memorial stone with dove in many cemeteries.

Alpha and Omega

Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. They come from the words of Jesus”I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End”. They are  combined together and carved on tombstone.

The Good Shepherd

The good shepherd is a image that a shepherd on Jesus’ shoulder. It is the most common representation of Christ. At first, it was a sign that frequently used in Christian art. By about the 5^th century the figure was developed and given a halo and rich robes. The lamb was carved on headstone to indicate the dead is an infant. But it sometimes can be used to show that the deceased is sacrificed.

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