Cemetery Sunday

Cemetery Sunday (also referred to as Blessing of the Graves) is an annual ancestor veneration observance held in Roman Catholic cemeteries in Ireland and along routes of Irish migration. Parishioners prepare by cleaning family graves and, in some cemeteries, decorating the graves. Grave decorations incorporate flowers as well as crafts and mementos. In cemeteries where a priest is not available, Cemetery Sunday may still be held absent the formal service and blessing.