An unveiling ceremony is a custom for black people, its a ceremony that black people find important to do after some one passed away. The 29th of June was a day that we literary said goodbye to my grandmother, uncle and aunt.
The custom of placing a monument over the grave of a departed person is a very ancient black tradition. The Book of Genesis, for example, records that Jacob erected a tombstone over the grave of his wife Rachel. From Biblical times onward, wherever black communities have existed, Blacks and other religions have continued this practice of erecting a memorial in honor of their deceased.
The tombstone is erected to indicate clearly where a person is buried, so that family and friends may visit the graveside. It is also a way of remembering and honoring the memory of the person who has died.
Today, we refer to the ceremony of formally consecrating a tombstone as an "unveiling". While this ceremony has no origin in pre-modern Jewish life, this has become an acceptable practice today.
An unveiling takes place during the first year after death. There are no strict guidelines for the timing of an unveiling, and, while families may choose a date at any time.
To
Everything There Is A Season - Ecclesiastes
To
everything there is a season;
A time
for everything under the sun.
A time to
be born and a time to die,
A time to
laugh and a time to mourn,
A time to
seek and a time to lose.
This is a
time we gather to remember
someone
who gave meaning to our lives.
This is
the time we recall
the bonds
that hold us, the love we shared,
the
memories that sustain us.
http://www.templebeth-el.net/tyfoon/site/fckeditor/file/UnveilingCeremony.pdf
