Love your Burial Ground Week champions the preservation of historic and sacred resting places every second week of June. This observance assists and commemorates individuals and groups dedicated to tending and maintaining these vital sites. Take time to volunteer at a local cemetery, research its history, or simply appreciate the serene beauty of these unique landscapes.
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History of Love your Burial Ground Week
Love your Burial Ground Week, formerly known as ‘Cherishing Churchyards Week,’ was established in 2013 to encourage a closer relationship between people who care for burial sites and the towns around them. With so many experiences and memories associated with burial grounds and churchyards, the necessity of making these areas calm and accommodating is a fantastic approach to reduce the creepy myths that exist in people’s minds about them.
The events that take place during Love Your Burial Ground Week are designed to assist local communities to learn and admire the beauty and serenity of these sites. Local churches typically use the week to offer a range of events that educate people about the history of burial grounds. These activities seek to highlight the distinctive characteristics of these locations and demystify people’s perceptions of what took place there. Local charities and non-profit groups also use the week to educate the community about the benefits of togetherness and the importance of preserving these historic sites. Several events are frequently conducted during this unique week to pique the interest of adults and children and to strengthen the relationship between these burial sites and the community.
Family picnics, visual presentations, floral identification, forest hikes, leaf lotto, tower tours, community outreach programs, and many other exciting activities have been held to celebrate Love your Burial Ground Week in recent years.
Love your Burial Ground Week timeline
Love your Burial Ground Week campaign is launched.
There is a significant expansion of burial facilities to move graveyards away from heavily populated areas.
Gravestones are introduced to replace monuments.
Burials can only be done on designated church grounds, placing the Church in charge of all burials.
Love your Burial Ground Week FAQs
When is Love your Burial Ground Week?
Love your Burial Ground Week 2026 runs from Monday, June 8 through Sunday, June 14, encouraging communities to care for historic sites and green spaces.
How many historic burial grounds are there in the United States?
While an exact count is difficult, estimates suggest there are over 100,000 cemeteries and burial grounds across the U.S., with a significant portion considered historic and requiring ongoing care.
Why is it important to preserve burial grounds?
Preserving burial grounds is crucial for historical research, genealogical studies, and maintaining green spaces, offering a tangible link to past generations and their stories.
What is the difference between a cemetery and a burial ground?
While often used interchangeably, ‘burial ground’ is a broader term for any place where human remains are interred, whereas ‘cemetery’ typically refers to a larger, formally managed burial site, often with specific landscaping and plot divisions.
Love your Burial Ground Week Activities
Take a tour
Love Your Burial Ground Week is a great opportunity to take a tour of your local churchyard or make a trip to a loved one's burial place. Relax and appreciate the care that has gone into preserving the lichen-covered stones and dynamic monuments.
Participate in local events
During Love Your Burial Ground Week, you could easily find an event to attend, ranging from history lessons to nature hikes. These events typically provide an opportunity to learn about the history of these landmarks while also donating to their care and maintenance.
Keep a wildlife journal
Burial grounds may be great sites to introduce people to animals and local history. Outdoor events arranged by local churches allow people to engage in family activities while interacting with the environment and observing uncommon plants and creatures.
5 Fascinating Facts About Burial Grounds
Stone type equals wealth
Wealthy families opt for marble and granite, while poorer families often use headstones made from sandstone or wood.
Most gravestones point Eastwards
Early settlers in the U.S. wanted to be buried in this direction so that they could rise and face the sun on the day they hoped to be reborn.
There’s Always Meaning in Carved motifs
Gravestones with carved motifs carry meaning; for instance, a broken tree or flower denotes a life cut short.
New York’s Washington Square Park
Over 2,000 are still believed to be buried in New York’s Washington Square Park as it used to be a graveyard.
The Graveyard in the Clouds
Mount Everest holds the dead bodies of hikers that haven't been found or are unrecoverable, but these bodies mostly reappear after an avalanche.
Why We Love Love your Burial Ground Week
It's an opportunity to preserve historical monuments
The programs scheduled for Love Your Burial Ground Week are intended to teach locals about the burial ground’s heritage. This is a great opportunity to get engaged in caring for the place.
The event fosters community unity
By holding this event, the churchyard can be linked more closely to its surrounding community. Such an event also offers help to those tasked with caring for its crypts and graveyards.
It demystifies burial ground myths
Many people think of churchyards as eerie locations that should be avoided at night. They are, however, some of the calmest and most lovely places to visit.
Love your Burial Ground Week dates
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | June 6–14 | Saturday–Sunday |
| 2027 | June 5–13 | Saturday–Sunday |
| 2028 | June 3–11 | Saturday–Sunday |
| 2029 | June 9–17 | Saturday–Sunday |
| 2030 | June 8–16 | Saturday–Sunday |
