Regarded as sacred in Ancient Egypt, the often brilliantly colored scarab is a stout-bodied dung beetle of the Mediterranean area.  The insect with a hard shell-like back held great significance to Ancient Egyptians as they believed that the beetle’s dung ball was representative of the world-the dung beetle kept the world forever revolving like its ball …
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A common motif in Greek art, the meander or Greek key is a decorative device constructed from a continuous line that takes repeated right-angled turns.  The meander was among the most important symbols in Ancient Greece.  For the people of Ancient Greece, the meandros (meander) symbolized eternity and infinite love. The famous pattern is named after the 250-mile-long …
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When viewed from a cross-cultural framework, color has been used almost universally to symbolize grief, loss, and healing.  Colors make us feel-they can spark a variety of emotions ranging from comfort and warmth to frustration and anger.  Color conjures up emotions, which in turn influence our behavior. In the West, black has been traditionally associated …
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Meaning “Way of the Saints” in Spanish, Santeria, an Afro-Caribbean religion merged with Roman Catholic beliefs, is based significantly on the traditions of the Yoruba nation in today’s Nigeria and Benin in West Africa.  Emerging during the 17th century, the Afro-Caribbean religion dating back to the days of slavery has been embedded in Cuban society ever …
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Experiencing loss elicits all kinds of emotions.  People of every culture grieve; feelings of sorrow, loss, and despair are universal.  We don’t just do it-we show it in different ways.  While there’s no way to avoid intense feelings of grief, the range of acceptable emotions and the extent to which that grief and sorrow are …
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Around the world, food is a way to honor the departed and offer comfort to the bereaved.  Through the vehicle of food, mourners come together and support one another during a difficult time.  Especially in times of loss, food provides a sense of community and connection.  Many cultures see food as important aspect in funeral …
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Throughout history and across cultures, hair has functioned as a symbol with deep meaning.  The folicular signifer has different meanings in different contexts.  A widespread feature of funeral customs relates to the mourners’ hair. People of Jewish faith observe strict mourning for seven days.  During shiva (the Hebrew word for “seven”), the week-long mourning ritual in Judaism, …
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The History of Mother’s Day Each year on the second Sunday of May, families in the Bronx and across the U.S. gather to celebrate Mother’s Day.  Our staff at Woodlawn Cemetery take the time to acknowledge this important day and all that it means for families throughout our community. Since the 19th century, Mother’s Day has …
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During the month of May, we celebrate the cultures, traditions, and history of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in the U.S.  The first Japanese immigrants came to the U.S. in May 1843 and it was during the same month in 1869 that the transcontinental railroad was completed, a major feat achieved primarily through the hard …
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Pacific Islanders refer to those whose origins are the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific islands.  Pacific Islanders comprise a diverse number of ethnic groups, ancestries, and languages that originated in Polynesia, Micronesia, and Melanesia.  Funeral traditions of the indigenous peoples of the Pacific islands show that memorialization takes different forms. Almost …
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