MEMORIALS –WHAT ARE THEY?

A memorial is defined as “an object that serves as a memory of a dead person or persons”. A memorial can be anything from the epitaph on a gravestone, to a statue. Memorials the world over will vary depending on culture. For example, Mexican people celebrate a “day of the dead” in memory of dead ancestors -- similar rituals are observed all over the world. A memorial service is the most popular way for people to pay homage to dead loved ones. A few forms of memorials are described below:

Gravestones
Gravestones have been used to celebrate and remember the life of dead people for centuries. Often, profound and moving lines of verse are inscribed on gravestones, which “summarise” the dead person’s life. This inscription is referred to as an epitaph.

Statues
Famous personalities the world over have statues dedicated to their memory. A good example of a statue as a memorial is Rudulph Evans' statue of Thomas Jefferson at Jefferson Memorial. In fact, it is not uncommon for famous personalities to have more than one statue dedicated as a memorial to them.

Monuments
One of the most famous and historical memorials in the world is the Great Pyramid of Giza. Completed in 2570 BC, the Great Pyramid of Giza is the final resting place and memorial to Egyptian Pharaoh Khufu. Another popular memorial is that of Mumtaz Mahal, popularly known as the Taj Mahal.

Donations, Trusts and Scholarships
Not everyone can afford to spend millions of dollars in constructing a monument. It is not uncommon for people to donate money to a local church or charity in memory of a close friend or family member. In addition, people may also start charitable trusts as memorials to dead loved ones. Schools usually name scholarships after dead students, professors, or benefactors, so these scholarships too are a way for schools to pay homage to the dead.

Obituaries and online memorials
Obituaries are perhaps the oldest form of print media based memorials. Obituaries have been appearing in newspapers for nearly 150 years now. Although obituaries are still a commonly used form of memorial, the latest form of memorial is an online memorial published via the Internet. Online memorials are replacing print media obituaries, becoming one of the leading ways to create a memorial. In fact, thousands of people have started dedicating websites or web pages in memory of dead loved ones.
Online memorials are a relatively new concept but are catching on because people find it much simpler to pay homage to loved ones online. The impact that the internet has had on the world is undeniable, and just like print media, the internet acts as another medium for people to pay their last respects to loved ones. Online memorials are similar to real memorials; people can dedicate flowers, light a candle and dedicate a song in memory of their loved ones. Unlike a print obituary, people can actually view who has visited the memorial and paid their respects to the dearly departed. Therefore, it is only a matter of time before online memorials fully overtake newspaper obituaries, replacing existing print media memorials (mainly obituaries) completely.
Resource Box
For more information on online memorials visit www.christianmemorials.com