[Jean]

What is the significance of a small rock being placed on top of a headstone? I have seen this in a few movies and would like to know the reason.

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Name : Jean, Gender : F, City : Green Cove Springs, State : FL Country : United States, 

[Mark K.]

In the Jewish religion, the purpose is to leave a marker that the grave has been visited. Usually, three stones are left, but I believe that is only a custom, not a law.

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Name : Mark K., Gender : M, Religion : Jewish, City : San Francisco Bay Area, State : CA Country : United States, 

[Hope]

There are a couple of reasons why Jews leave stones on headstones. The first is simply as a sort of guest book - to show that someone has been there. The second is to differentiate Jews from Christians. Jews have always had strict laws about burial - that the dead must be buried within 3 days of death - and Christians have not. This is how the custom of Christians bringing flowers began - because before embalming, when you waited to bury someone, they started to smell. That's why Jews usually do not bring flowers - bringing stones was a way of showing that we were Jews, not Christians.

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Name : Hope, Gender : Female, Sexual Orientation : Bisexual, Religion : Jewish, Age : 38, City : Pittsburgh, State : PA Country : United States, Education level : 4 Years of College, 

[Sue]

I was told that the rocks are used because they're more permanent than flowers. Makes sense to me. And not as ugly as plastic flowers.

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Name : Sue, Gender : F, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Pagan, Age : 48, City : Ft .Worth, State : TX Country : United States, Occupation : burned-out nurse, 

[EJ]

It is not a law, but a Jewish custom when visiting a gravesite to leave a stone on the gravestone as a witness to someone being there. Stones do not move and witness things occurring on earth when we are gone.

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Name : EJ, Gender : F, Sexual Orientation : Straight, Race : White/Caucasian, Religion : Jewish, Age : 28, City : New York, State : NY Country : United States, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, 

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