Sociology (death and Dying) - Essay Example

However, there are also some Chinese buried in other parts of the cemetery. 2. Graves of the Filipinos are mostly flat headstones. I observed that white headstones are dominant in the cemetery. But as I walked around, I have seen also some that are black in color. These black headstones are made of granite. There are also some maroon headstones that I saw but these are very rare. In the area where most of the population is Chinese, I noticed that mausoleum is a more popular choice than flat headstones. 3. Based on my observation, I think half of the graves in Eternal Gardens are more sentimental than the other half.

Some of the graves just show the name of the person who died his/her birth date, and the date of death. But those that are sentimental have some quotes like "In loving memory of" There are also some inscriptions that show the nicknames of the dead or how they were called when they were still alive followed by the phrase "is now in the loving arms of the Lord". The inscription pattern that I noticed in the cemetery is that children's graves are often engraved with images of angels. For women, the most common inscription that I saw is "A loving mother".

Also, I noticed that most headstones are engraved with images of rosary and crucifix. There is no distinct pattern for men. I think inscriptions and designs of children's graves are more sentimental than others. When I passed by the mausoleums of Chinese, of cou. Maybe it is also because All Souls' Day was approaching. Some sites already have flowers that were starting to wither, but there were also some that have fresh flowers and with candles. These are the only indications that gave me the idea that the grave sites had been recently visited.

Chinese mausoleums also have indications that they have been visited. The things that I saw in there were the incense sticks, some flowers, gold paper with Chinese characters, and red candles that are engraved with gold dragons. The weirdest things that I noticed in mausoleums were the food left by the relatives for the dead. It was like they are leaving the dead some food to eat, as if he/she is still alive.5. The inscriptions and the images engraved in the headstones gave me the idea that the clients of Eternal Gardens are Catholics.

As it was said in the earlier part of this paper, the headstones are often engraved with images of rosary and crucifix. The headstones of deceased children have angels on them. Also, I saw an image of Blessed Virgin Mary within the cemetery. This is why I thought that Filipinos and other clients of the cemetery are devoted Catholics. The inscription, like "A loving mother", also reveals the social status of the dead during her life on earth. I also saw an inscription like this: "A devoted husband, a loving father, and a caring brother".

This inscription tells all the important roles that the dead had played when he was still alive. The Chinese characters printed on the mausoleums prove that the body lying there is a Chinese. Also, it gave the idea that those with mausoleums are richer than those with just flat headstones.6. When I will be dead, I can see myself lying inside an urn. I