The practice of throwing dirt into a grave?

Question

Could anyone explain to me the reason and belief behind throwing dirt onto the coffin at a funeral? It doesn't seem to be explicitly for one particular religion. It seems so very final and so very painful an action.

Answer 1

This is done at Jewish funerals. I have never seen it done at Protestant although some might.

[Filling the grave] is the most striking part of a Jewish funeral, surely the most painful, and perhaps ultimately the most healing

Depending on the local custom, while the coffin is lowered into the earth, or just prior to filling the grave, the rabbi or cantor recites:

Al mekomo yavo veshalom (for a man)

Al mekomah tavo veshalom (for a woman)

May _______ go to his/her place in peace.

The rabbi then hands one of the principal mourners a trowel or simply gestures for him or her to pick up the shovel placed beside or in a pile of newly dug earth. Children, parents, siblings, and spouse come forward, taking turns dropping a little of the soil onto the coffin.

Answer 2

I think it as more to do with the history of death. Back in the 18th century when someone died the family cleaned and prepared the body to be buried. From what I've read it's like the last task to cover the grave with the dirt. A final goodbye. I can't remember where I read this, I know it had to be in some sort of book about history or the ways of days of old.

Answer 3

For the majority funerals are family thing and only become religious when the family makes it so (which most christian families do.) By throwing the dirt into the grave it represents the last thing that you can do for that person. Just like being palbarrer represents carrying them to the last of their journey.

Answer 4

Well, if you're going to bury something (coffin or otherwise), you end up putting something on top of it.

In cemetaries, you put what you took out of the hole back in.

I think you're referring to the loved one throwing the first handful of dirt, right?

The thought here is that the loved ones are burying the deceased, not people he/she never knew (i.e. the funeral home).

It is the last act of love.

Answer 5

It's an African tradition:

.... the corpse was lowered into the grave and covered, each person throwing a handful of dirt into the grave as a last farewell act of kindness to the dead.... A prayer was offered.... This concluded the services at the grave.

http://www.sciway.net/hist/chicora/gravematters-1.html

Answer 6

Well, I consider it deeply offensive to throw dirt at anyone, especially a dead person who was once dearly beloved. The government should intervene to stop this kind of vandalism. In my home country it would be as absurt to throw dirt at a corpse as to set fire to a sleeping grandmothers beard.

Answer 7

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Answer 8

That is done to psychologically accept that the dead person is gone. Is like when you burn papers or things that remind of you of something or someone. When you burn them you are telling yourself that does no longer exist in your conscious, or that it doesn't matter anymore.

Throwing dirt means you're letting go that person from your life.

Answer 9

It is an act of love and helping the person to return to the earth, dust to dust.

Answer 10

I believe it has something to do with "we are dust and to dust we shall return." The optimism that we shall be resurrected.
However I find many people throw flowers instead, which seems much more pleasant.