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by nemo1618 1305 days ago
I recently learned that home burials are legal in most U.S. states. Gravedigging is hard work, but I think burying a loved one on their own property (with the help of some friends/family) is a nice alternative to a cemetery/graveyard.

Also, here's a free pet peeve: it's only a graveyard if it's next to a church. You're welcome!
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IncRnd 1305 days ago
> Also, here's a free pet peeve: it's only a graveyard if it's next to a church. You're welcome!

That's not correct. A graveyard primarily means a cemetary next to a church, but this is not exclusive. A graveyard can be elsewhere and not next to a church. Any dictionary will show this, websters[1], oxford learners online[2], dictionary.com[3]. Even wikipedia's entry for graveyard shows this. [4]

[1] https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/graveyard

[2] https://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/us/definition/eng...

[3] https://www.dictionary.com/browse/graveyard

[4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cemetery

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acheron 1305 days ago
it's only a graveyard if it's next to a church.

Not true. You can have cemeteries with a church or graveyards not. There's a connotation of "graveyards" as older than cemeteries, and most older ones were near churches, but it's never been a strict definition.

While we're on it though, "graveyard" is a recentish word ("grave" and "yard" are both old Germanic words but the compound word only comes from the 1700s). The Old English word was "licburg", meaning "corpse town". ("lic" is the source of the D&D/fantasy game "lich")

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treesknees 1305 days ago
Depending on how much spare land there is, and who will inherit that property. I couldn't imagine sticking grandma in a grave on the corner of a subdivision, or having any serious offers come in once potential buyers see a headstone in the back yard.
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mwint 1305 days ago
If you buy a property with a grave on it (knowingly or not), I wonder if there’s any way to legally move it to a proper cemetery?
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kwhinnery 1305 days ago
Two fun facts delivering strong ROI for my visit to HN today, much appreciated!
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mellavora 1305 days ago
wonder what the homeowner association would have to say about that?
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