Thank you for sharing the history behind the grave blanket. My son was murdered in January, and I really wanted something beautiful on his grave, until his stone arrived. I love it!! Its absolutely beautiful.
Thank you so much. Continue doing the great work you do making someones loves ones, look amazing for their life celebration. I went to school for the same trade, but i didnt finish.
It is very common in Pennsylvania, I do this every year for my daughters grave and actually we decorate it the cemetery just put on the ribbon for us we do the rest. It gives us a chance to spend time together and out at her grave remembering the time we had with her♥️♥️♥️
I Didn't mention that wife beating,rapist s.o.b.,so how'd you know about him? Who are you that you'd know about him? 2009. Not that I cared to remember. But,yes ma'am they died 8 years apart but were 10 years apart in age. Mom was 49,him 59. Mom's passing was due to Pleurisy. His; Liver,lung,and collarectal Cancer.
My grandfather worked for a trucking company and he would haul loads that were nothing but grave blankets to Northern Wisconsin. Thanks for the memory of my grandpa.
Oh Kari that is a lovely thing to do for the deceased I love that tradition. I didn't know they existed, but perhaps we don't have them here in Scotland on the grave. I'm glad you can buy them easily as I would like one if I get buried. Hope you are well Kari and your family. Have a lovely day. Lot's of love from Nancy in Scotland x 🕊
Here in central Ohio my family has placed grave blankets for as long as I remember. The Catholic cemetery where my paternal grandparents are let’s you pay the cemetery and they take care of purchasing and placing it.
We put grave blankets on my grandparents grave every year in Michigan. Ive lived in Maine now for many years and have never seen a grave blanket any where out here. Never even hear mention of them.
I haven’t either, but I’ve probably seen them before. My area doesn’t really have a large Scandinavian population, so you might see them more in places like Minnesota.
My husband and I used to put one on all family members every year. Now, it’s just me and I do what I call a “grave run” because the cemetery’s are in Batavia, NY (my husband is buried) to Philly. They are beautiful.
😭😭😭😭 Thank you so much for this beautiful information. My beloved husband Gerald passed away in August of 2022 and I thought about him being cold when the winter comes and everyone in my family and our children thought it was silly and wrote me off as not being in my right mind due to grief and now I came across this. You have indeed blessed my soul today. I am gonna make my beloved husband Gerald one for this Fall myself. I appreciate you for this video. God bless you dear❤
I always knew this to be a "northeast thing". In the New Jersey, New York area traditionally, we always put grave blankets out at Thanksgiving and the cemeteries keep them on through Christmas. They are everywhere in the tristate area and it's usually the florists selling them nearest the cemeteries. I have never seen a woven one, they are usually anywhere from 30-48in long. It's always been a special way to include our loved ones in the holiday season.
I’m Scandinavian-From Denmark 🇩🇰😊 And this is used on all graves during winter. ❄️🌲 My dad has a small urn grave, and every year my dads wife lay out a beautiful blanket. But in the last few years, the people working at the cemetary, lay it out for us, and it looks beautiful ❤
Interesting. I have seen this a couple of times, but I just thought it was more of a “fresh” burial plot.. My FIL is a funeral director/embalmer/mortician (not sure if they’re the same or which he prefers) and I would love to ask him about this, but he doesn’t seem to like to discuss his job, so I’m not sure how to even approach talking to him to things like this that I find so interesting. At any rate, I appreciate you taking the time to enlighten us curious folk. Have a great day and thanks so much 🙏🏼
I did not know where that they came from Scandinavian tradition but I did know that my parents always put great blankets on the grooves when I was a kid. And I was the youngest with an older sibling 10 years, & an older sibling 16 years, so they had been doing that a long time!
I grew up in Michigan and have known about grave blankets since I was very very young, possibly 8/9 years old. Going to my grandmother's funeral and seeing them on pretty much every grave.
While I enjoy every single two minute video this one by far was my FAVORITE. I had never heard the term grave blanket.I had seen pictures from cemeteries that had them and just thought well that’s different, in GA we just leave flowers on a new burial where it is still grass that has not grown back together. After that the family just leaves flowers in the vase and makes sure all is good at the cemetery.
I’ve never heard of these. I’ve never seen one. They are definitely not common in my area (Utah). When my son died in colder weather I knew it would be a while before I could get a headstone and sod installed. I wanted the grave at least marked as a child’s grave. I had someone purchase a baby blanket and we covered the grave with that. When they were installing the headstone, I was not sure what to do with the blanket. It was too damaged by the weather to save, and too sentimental to throw out. The man installing the headstone folded it up and placed it beneath the stone. Now that I know what a grave blanket is, I might have to look at amazon and make it a tradition for my family. Thanks so much for the information.
It is an Irish American tradition also in Pennsylvania. I live in northeast Philadelphia and they are sold at farm markets and wherever they sell Christmas trees during the holidays. Most cemeteries here that allow them will only keep them on the graves for about a month.
Thank you for this! I just lost my son and I want this to be placed on my son's grave before cold in Northern Florida. His monument will not be installed until February. I will make it myself...if necessary. Thank you so much for this video. My heart is so broken!!
I’ve heard of grave blankets however here in South Texas they are unknown. Family just tends to place an actual Christmas tree (real or artificial) in family members graves.
I never heard of a grave blanket. I have heard of casket spray however it does not cover the entire grave or the casket for that matter. I think I would prefer the evergreen blanket. It really looks great. Cheers
I bought a grave blanket for my mom way back in 1984 here in Texas. The funeral home at the cemetery sold them. They don't sell them much anymore, because of price ? I don't know ? But I think most people want to decorate the grave of the love one on thier own.
Oh how funny, I always thought they were for the Mormon Scandinavians, that migrated to Utah in the late 1800’s, people like the Van Wagners and such. LOL The cemetery near my house has a holiday tradition every year that the local Boy Scout Troop puts luminaries (bags of sand with a tea light) on the graves usually on December 18th and families gather to sing Christmas Carols and they have a few complimentary “hot chocolate” stands throughput the grounds. It’s a Family Tradition that we look forward to attending every year. Great Video as always Kari, Happy Holidays and Big Hugs from Salt Lake City!
Hi Kari, To some of your viewers that are poking fun of this ‘tradition’, this is not to keep a loved one warm. I’m sure they mean no disrespect, so let’s educate them some more. It’s simply called a blanket due to its shape. It is in the northern states and mid Atlantic states as a custom. You want flowers on your loved ones graves during the winter holiday but flowers will not make it through the holiday as they freeze and die quickly in these climates, where as evergreens will last. Hope this helps.
where I grew up in NY, they were put on the graves before Christmas time and those that put it there did it to keep the person 'warm' during the winter .
Popular in Michigan really, I worked a florist in Ann Arbor, there where xmas greens either pushed in Green rectangular Styro foam or chicken wire was used, Green Styro grew expensive, I live in TN and there are not popular here, back in the early nineties ran around $100, i can't imagine what they charge now.
my family used to put a grave blanket on my sister’s grave every year and we always bought the one that had 7 pine cones on it bc she was 7 when she died. now we put up a fake Christmas tree on her grave instead. ☺️
Never heard of this! - Hope you are well & how is the Pine Box Club going? Anyway, dear Lady Of Michigan, a belated Happy St Valentines' Day & hopefully a better 2021 to you and yours. Best!.... TJ the DJ
Groovy vid........great topic for this holiday season.....HUGE....and I mean HUGE in the Midwest as for as cemetery traditions. They are gorgeous.......I love the sentiment....plus I love the amount of space you have to decorate on top of them. Downside........Debbie Downer says......wait til you see how it kills the grass under the blanket when you take that decoration off....and what a booger it is to regrow and reseed .........sorry......I will behave.....but I love them nonetheless. In St Louis you would make a small fortune making these. Holiday Blessings Robb......stay safe n healthy!
I get one for my parents grave every other year. On a different note. NJ has one natural cemetery and its in Cale May county. A little too far for me since I'm in northern Jersey. I'm leaning towards cremation. No embalming and no casket. Can one be cremated wrapped in a shroud and placed in the oven without a casket or the cardboard box? Curious. I want to be dispatched within 24 hours, no viewing. Although my daughter wants to see me before the event. Your thoughts and suggestions. Thanks
Crematories, a majority, require a rigid box. It is hard to place someone not in a rigid container or on a board into the retort, they don't just slide.
You should have done this video at Eastlawn Memorial Gardens in Okemos, MI or Chapel Hill Cemetery in Lansing, MI, there's always loads of grave blankets
Never saw one here in Md I had a coworker whose boyfriend made one for her. On the wood frame he nailed chicken wire. Then she inserted greens , balls, etc. They would reuse it every year. It nice to see but like you said not necessary.
Thank you Kari, ikook forward to seeing all of your videos because ive learnt so much from you and i eagerly await your next videos. Never heard the term Grave Blanket before but here in CA were not allowed to leave things on the grave for too long because it gets tossed up once a week, when the cleaning crew comes thru i think
Yes, this is very common. In colder climates, a blanket is laid on top of the grave. Just think about this. Someone has just died, a family member, a friend or a co worker. They were placed in a box or crate made out of wood, then placed in a cold concrete bunker, with dirt placed on top of all this. Being that said person, has just died, they might still have some kind of feelings, that we don't know about. Here they are, laying in a dark and cold tomb, freezing. ⚰❄⛄. This is where the "Grave Blanket" comes to the rescue. Its laid over the grave, sometimes an electrical one, to give warmth to the dearly departed, as we know it. Snow or no snow. This is usually only done when the person has just died. And only one time. After that, the departed person, has really moved on, and doesn't need this blanket. For those souls who are buried in places, where it gets very warm, like the southwest states or tropics, ice is placed on top of the grave, instead of a blanket. And I'll bet you thought you've heard of everything? It's never to late to learn. By the way, these cloth blankets can be purchased, almost everywhere. And yes, they can be placed in "layaway"!
@@KaritheMortician You do know, that I made all that, up! If it's really true, I'm shocked. It sounds good. Might be something to really think about, especially for the families of the dearly departed. 😇
I live in southwest ohio about 30 miles east of Cincinnati and I've seen or heard of one before. Watch now this winter I'll go visit my uncle and grandma and grandpa who are all buried pretty close to each other in the same cemetery and I'll see them everywhere lol. It's weird how sometimes things will work out like that or sometimes I'll hear of a word that Ive never heard of in all my 40 years of life and then I'll notice people using that word all the time.
Very common here in the Chicagoland area, but I have noticed that it is becoming less popular, which I attribute to a generational change. Young people don’t know about it or participate in the practice. That one you showed looked small, probably on a baby’s grave?
