“Visitors to our cemeteries are reminded that leaving cans or bottles of alcoholic beverages on gravestones is not permitted.”
Scots mourning their deceased family and friends have been cautioned against placing alcoholic beverages beside graves, as it has led to instances where underage individuals have taken and consumed the alcohol.
Angus Council issued this warning following multiple reports of young people removing alcohol bottles from gravesites and drinking them, particularly over weekends when cemetery staff are not present.
The council shared a notice on Facebook along with an image displaying a grave adorned with a bottle of Budweiser and vodka. In Scotland, it is a common tradition to leave a drink next to the tombstones of loved ones during special occasions, symbolizing a gesture of remembrance for those who are no longer present to celebrate.
A statement released by Angus Council on social media stated, “We understand everyone has unique ways of honoring and remembering their deceased loved ones. However, we must enforce that leaving cans or bottles of alcoholic drinks at gravestones is not allowed. Recently, we have had several instances where minors have taken these alcoholic beverages and consumed them. Our personnel routinely collect and store these drinks for later retrieval, but no staff are available on weekends when these incidents tend to occur. We urge everyone to respectfully visit their loved ones’ graves but please refrain from leaving alcoholic items that could be accessed by young individuals.”
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Community reactions to the council’s advice have been varied. Sheila Faichney suggested, “It’s better to donate the amount you would spend on alcohol to a charity in memory of the deceased, rather than potentially contributing to harmful behavior.” Iain Fisher expressed the view that better education might prevent children from engaging in such acts. Amy Johnston argued, “We should be able to leave whatever we want without having to worry about disrespectful youngsters stealing from graves.”
Meanwhile, Fiona Walker proposed an alternative: “Instead of leaving bottles on the grave, why not just pour out a little as a tribute? I personally use a miniature for this purpose because there’s also the risk of animals like cats or foxes knocking over full bottles, causing them to break.”
Hi, I’m Benjamin, a member of the Sherburne County Citizen team. With a passion for writing and a deep interest in current affairs, I thoroughly enjoy bringing you the latest news and trends that affect our daily lives.
