How did “six feet under” become the standard burial depth? Actually, it never did. The laws vary from state to state (and country to country). Many states mandate that there be a minimum of 18 inches of dirt on top of the casket or burial vault. When figuring in the height of a coffin, plus the 18 inch soil buffer, anywhere from four to six feet is the norm. Sometimes graves can be as deep as nine feet; this often occurs in cemeteries with limited land area that need to accommodate couples that want to be buried together. Instead of side-by-side plots, the caskets are buried one atop the other. (There is still an 18 inch soil cushion between the two coffins.)

The laws regarding minimum grave depths began “surfacing” in the 1830s, when the cemetery business became a commercial enterprise. Prior to that time, families dug their own graves for deceased loved ones, and often the holes were so shallow, that a few decades of soil erosion often meant bones would mysteriously pop up in random fields. Savvy morticians realized they could sell a piece of ground to grieving families and assure them that their dearly departed would forever rest in peace, and all of that back-breaking digging would be taken care of for them.

NOTE: Today marks the last in the Fact of the Day series, which is nearing 1500 entries. We’ve enjoyed bringing it to you these last almost-five years, but the wonderful content evolving on the blog here at mental_floss has made this task a bit redundant. We’ll continue the Quiz of the Day (and our other efforts at mental_floss, which include fact-checking all the material for each issue). See you there!

- Kara & Sandy