Do you like to visit churchyards on All Saints' Day?

All Saints' Day is a public holiday in all of Austria and all of France and also in many parts of Germany.

As I live near the border to France I will go now to visit an Alsatian churchyard.

@ yews in churchyards:

Zitat

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Pagan yews

The yew tree has been associated with death and the journey of the soul from this life to the next for thousands of years. It was sacred to Hecate, Ancient Greek Goddess of Death, Witchcraft and Necromancy, and was said to purify the dead as they entered the underworld of Hades. Celtic druids also saw yew as sacred and planted it close to their temples to use in death rituals. Being a symbol of death, but very much alive, the yew came to represent eternity and is sometimes linked with the Tree of Life, which features in many religious beliefs and philosophies.

This powerful symbolism led kings and queens to use yew wood in their staffs and other regalia, keen to link themselves to the concepts of longevity and God-given power.

Holy yews

Yews had a sacred role before the rise of Christianity. Many churches were built on the sites of temples and Christian and pagan imagery and beliefs often mixed together. In 601, Pope Gregory suggested that places of pagan worship could simply be converted into Christian churches. There was another reason for Christians to view yews as holy: the heart of the tree is red, while its sap is white. These colours symbolise the blood and body of Christ. As a hardy evergreen tree able to survive on infertile soil, the yew also suggested rebirth and resurrection.

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https://britainsbestguides.org/blogs/why...ards-have-yews/