I remember a time when someone died that the funeral home would go and place a wreath on the door or door frame at the home of the deceased, When did that practice stop ?
When scumbag burglars started using it as a "break in here" sign.
I remember when my grandma passed, and the funeral home placed a wreath on the door; it really felt like a sign of respect. I think that practice started fading away in the 80s or 90s as folks began to focus more on personal touches for memorials instead of sticking to traditional customs. It’s kind of a shame, though—those wreaths had a way of making you feel connected to the community during such a tough time.
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Is this what you mean?
Do those roadside memorials where some nut wrecked his car and killed himself merit a wreath? They are all over, when did this start?
That has been a thing for a good 40 years, at least.
I’ve never personally seen it. I’d never even heard of it until I heard it referenced in George Jones’s classic, He Stopped Loving Her Today:
He stopped loving her today
They placed a wreath upon his door
I was thinking of that very thing this afternoon.
It was indeed something that was done upon the death of someone living in that home. Common practice.
As was said earlier, criminals started using it as well as announcements of the funeral to rob a home.
It’s common practice for our family anyway to leave a guard at the deceased home during the funeral and burial.
To add insult to injury, I've heard of families that leave a guard at the home of the dear departed not only because of common everyday criminals but also because of common cur thieves within the family.
