Have you ever been working on a project and then halfway through, you realize you did it wrong? But it’s too late now, you’ve got the majority of the work done, so you just press on. If you have, then you’ll be able to relate to the poor souls who laid out this particular cemetery in Louisiana, which just so happens to be the country’s only cemetery that’s facing the wrong direction. Hey, we all make mistakes!

Welcome to Rayne, Louisiana! This quirky little town on the outskirts of Lafayette is known to be the "Frog Capital of the World," and they embrace it with open arms.
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The town was once a major exporter of frog legs, and though that ship sailed long ago, Rayne celebrates its frog history with several murals and statues peppered all around town.
Rayne is quirky in more ways than just one. While you're hopping around town, make sure to check out St. Joseph's Cemetery.
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It happens to be facing the wrong direction. Whoops!
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Traditionally, Christian cemeteries are laid out in an east-west direction, but not this one.
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This began as a Pagan practice and was adopted as the belief that Christ would resurrect from the east.
So why are these tombs facing north-south?
Carol M. Highsmith/Wikimedia
Well, the answer may surprise you ... human error.
Sara Neave/Google
While it's not 100 percent certain, it's widely believed that when the graveyard was laid out in the late 1800s, the grave digger did not understand the assignment.
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Either that, or he lacked a compass. Whatever the reason, by the time anyone had realized the error, it was too late. The cost of moving the dead and repositioning everything would have been too high, plus it would have been too overwhelming for the families, so the cemetery remained north-south.

It's the only Christian cemetery in the country to face north-south rather than east-west!

There’s a lot to explore in this charming town. Check out our previous article where we highlight some of our favorite things to do in Rayne, Louisiana.

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Saint Joseph Catholic Church, 401 S Adams Ave, Rayne, LA 70578, USA