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What Does a Sunrise or Sunset Symbolize on Headstones?

This week’s cemetery symbols topic:

Just like several other cemetery symbols posts on my site, this one was inspired by graves I saw in Aurora, Texas. Today I’ll be answering the question: “What does a sunrise or sunset symbolize on a headstone?”

What does a sunrise or sunset represent on a headstone? (photo by Tui Snider)
What does a sunrise or sunset represent on a headstone? (photo by Tui Snider)

Is it a Sunrise or a Sunset?

When you see a sun on a headstone, the first thing you might wonder is, “Is this a sunrise? Or is this a sunset?” The answer is yes! And by ‘yes’ I”m not just being a wiseacre. What I mean is that this is a dual symbol. It actually represents both a sunrise and a sunset.

Of course, the person who requested it on their headstone might have leaned more towards one or the other. It’s a bit like the old, “Is the glass half-full or half-empty?” question. There’s no right answer.

What does a sunrise or sunset represent on a headstone? (photo by Tui Snider)
What does a sunrise or sunset represent on a headstone? (photo by Tui Snider)

Dual meaning of the sun

Considering that life on our planet depends upon the sun, it’s no wonder than so many ancient cultures worshiped it. Even today, in Christianity and other religions, the sun remains an important symbol.

As you can see from the photos in this post, just as there’s more than one symbolic meaning for the sun, there is more than one way to illustrate one on a headstone. Both of these sunrise/sunset carvings are at Aurora Cemetery, but they look quite different.

What does a sunrise or sunset symbolize?

As a cemetery symbol, the sun represents eternal life, as well as the eternal light of heaven. When you think of it as a sunset, it symbolizes the end of our earthly life. On the other hand, as a sunrise it also reminds us of the promise of new beginnings in the afterlife.

More historic cemetery symbols articles:

If you enjoyed this article, stay tuned for more posts in which I’ll share the meaning behind a different cemetery symbol, and/or an interesting historic graveyard monument or story. (I’ve even got a book coming out this year – hopefully by June!)  If you’d like to read more now, click here for: more historic cemetery symbols articles.

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Tui Snider
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Published inBlog PostsCemeteries & SymbolismHistoric Cemeteries

2 Comments

  1. Candy L. Gallagher Candy L. Gallagher

    Hello. I was really interested in knowing WHY the birth on headstones stated sunrise and the death stated sunset. Does it also infer one’s religious beliefs?

    • I’m not quite sure I understand your question… Birth and sunrise are related symbolically as being a new light into the world. Sunset symbolizes death, as you leave the mortal world. (Even so, the sun represents eternal life: At death, your light goes out on Earth, but rises again to eternal life in Heaven, like a sunrise. And yes, it can be considered religious symbolism, since it requires the belief in an afterlife. Many different religions can use the sunrise/sunset as a symbol. Hope this helps!

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