How many of these superstitions have you done? I can pick out at least four which I have done. One I knew was iffy but I reasoned it away as being okay.

Do you know others which did not make this list?

• Never county the number of cars in a funeral procession.
• Never point at a funeral procession, its bad luck.
• Never take flowers from a grave.
• If you spill salt, immediately throw some over your left shoulder to keep the Devil at bay.
• An owl hooting outside of your window for three nights in a row foretells a death – yours of someone close to you.
• Here are some other death superstitions you may have heard.

Death superstitions involving nature:

• Flowers will grow on the grave of someone who lived a good line. Only weeds grow on the grave of someone who was evil.
• If a bird flies into your window, there has been a death.
• If you see an owl during the day, there will be a death close to you.
• An owl hooting outside of your window for three nights in a row foretells a death, yours of someone close to you.
• If lightening strikes near the house when someone is dying, the devil has come for their soul.
• If it rains in an open grave, it’s bad luck for the family.
• If there is a thunderstorm during a funeral, the deceased has gone to hell.
• If there is thunder following a burial then the deceased has reached heaven.

Physical death superstitions:

• Hold your breath when passing a graveyard so evil can’t enter.
• Another version is: If you don’t hold your breath when passing a cemetery, you will not be buried.
• If you have an involuntary shiver, someone has just walked over your grave.
• If you cast a headless shadow then you will die in the next year.
• If you lie down in a coffin you are taunting death to come and take you.
• Never whistle in a graveyard, you are summoning the Devil.
• Never wear anything new to a funeral. (Shoes seem to have particular significance.)
• Coins should be placed on the eyes of the deceased to pay the ferryman, Charon, to row the departed across the underworld river Styx.

Death superstitions in your home:

• Howling dogs in the night signify that someone ill in the house will die soon.
• If a picture suddenly falls off of the wall, someone you know has died.
• You should stop all clocks in the house where someone dies or it will bring bad luck.
• Open a window in the room when someone dies so that they can move on.
• Cover all mirrors after a death – so that the soul doesn’t get trapped in them.
• A casket must be carried out with the deceased’s feet first.

Death and the number 3:

• If you hear three knocks and no one is there, someone close to you has died.
• If only 3 candles are lit in a room, the person closest to the shortest candle will be the first to die.
• Death comes in threes.

Death superstitions about the graveyard:

• A metal cross on a grave will hold the spirit there.
• A body should be placed in the grave with its head to the west and feet to the east so that when it rises up it will face the sun. Never remove anything from a gravesite.
• It is bad luck to walk on graves.
• It is bad luck to trip when you’re in a cemetery.
• Being buried on the north side of the church is considered unlucky because of the lack of sun. That area is usually reserved for criminals and suicides.
• It is bad luck to go into a cemetery at night, or to be there at the stroke of midnight.

This list is from Joy Neighbors - A Grave Interest

Two of the interview questions from the Cemetery Travel site. Read the interviews and find more questions on the site.

What’s your favorite thing to do in a cemetery?

What would your epitaph be?

If I were younger and still more romantic, my favourite thing to do in a cemetery would be a picnic. You would need to come prepared, not just the usual picnic things. You might check in with the people who maintain the land and be sure a picnic is welcome there.

Next, once you are there, find a good spot. Cemetery land tends to be knobby and bumpy. You might think its all manicured, perfect cared for lawns, its not always the case. Usually they are knobby due to insects, weeds, and no doubt other things I don't know about. You won't want too much shade or sun and a sunny day will at least save you from mosquitos.

I would not plan it as a Gothic looking thing. I don't see it as a gloomy event.

Now, at this age, I like visiting cemeteries just for photography. Finding the oldest stones, even those I can't read due to weathering or plant growth. Sometimes I can read them better from the photograph I take. I also look for ornate carved or sculpted stones. I especially like those with stone flowers. Its nice to see what people have planted around the stones too, or if they have left pennies, pebbles or other little mementos on the gravestone.

I'm not ready to write my epitaph. I'd like to visit, as a ghost or whatever is available, and read what others have written.

Of course, you could put together your own kit. Some cleaning solution, brushes, a little pick to pluck mould/ fungus out of the small places, and something to keep water in. But, it supports others if you choose to buy the kit. Also, you won't have to look for the best cleaning solution and brushes yourself.

I think you might bring along something to sit on too. Also, I'd consider an old towel or blanket to spread on the grass. Just in case the grass doesn't like something in the soap/ cleaner you use.

If you pick out the fungus and mould consider collecting all of those little living things and moving them to a new location. I've seen people making gardens with mould and fungi collected from the street.

Of course, bring your camera! If nothing else, get some before and after photos.

I think the idea that walking through a cemetery is scary is created by the media. In reality, its usually quiet, tends to be damp, among the trees, or windy if there are few trees. I've photographed an old cemetery which was on the edge of a farm field, only one tree. It was very cold and windy. That was perfect atmosphere for a movie. But, they would have needed a story to make it creepy. The reality was just bitterly cold, not scary at all.

I found this post, which included a quote from Loren Rhoads, about travel and exploring cemeteries.

“I look at them as open-air sculpture gardens,” Rhoads said. “There are some places in the world where it’s museum quality, and it’s just there for anyone to visit and take a look.”

Source: A Guide to the World's Most Intriguing Cemeteries

Loren has written, "Wish you Were Here" and "199 Cemeteries to See Before you Die". The first is about US cemeteries and the second about cemeteries around the world.  Also, her site Cemetery Travel.

You can also find her Cemetery Travels Notebook, for your own exploring and notes, from her Etsy shop, CemeteryLibrarian.