Thursday, September 18, 2008

Graveside Etiquette

I don't visit tombstones. Never have. The very few times I have gone it's been cause somebody else wanted to, and I simply accompanied. I stand at parade rest, being silent and running through Leave Home in my head, til the person wants to leave. Silent understanding nod, walk.

But when people leave things at a gravesite...what's the protocol? I just watched a dude on The Sopranos leave a whole new cake at a tombstone for his dead wife. I mean damn, a whole freaking cake...am I outta bounds for, AFTER he's left of course, walking over and taking the cake home and eating it? Hey, wouldn't I be doing him a favor - what if he came back the next day and the cake was still there? Disappointing, no? At least if I take it, he can convince himself that somehow his wife has it now and enjoyed her some cake from her man, right? You're welcome!

Hey, I'm just wondering.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The correct etiquette, in my opinion, would be to eat 1 piece and leave the rest. Other visitors could also have a piece and the person who left it would think that the deceased was eating it. The bonus would be that they may start leaving more food on the tombstone figuring their dearly departed was hungry.