november 1

i tried to convince other native english speaking teachers to go to the cemeteries in their towns on november first because it's such a cool thing to see. i don't know if they went or not, but in this post i'll show what kind of sights you can take in on that special day.

november first (all saints day/day of the dead) is celebrated in hungary to honor and remember the dead. people go to the cemetery and decorate their loved ones' graves (which are above ground) with candles, flowers, and wreaths. they tend to the graves all year round, unlike we do at home, but on this particular day or weekend, the place is packed with more life than an ordinary cemetery.

last year's blog about this day

this year i went to the huge cemetery in my town with the lady who has been teaching me hungarian, edit and her son geri. we walked around looking at the multitude of tombs and gravestones. the feeling you get while there on this day isn't the normal creepy feeling that usually accompanies a trip to the local graveyard. there is a somber feeling, of course, but the many families walking around with you give you a sense of peace about death. well, at least for me.

there are different sections of the cemetery, some newer, some older, so the graves differ.
there are even places for burying atheists or non-religious people. there is a relatively new structure in my city's cemetery made for that reason. they mix water with the ashes of the deceased and bury them in a common grave, just writing the names of the dead on a large plaque.

at the common graves

with the year they died

i can't really show in pictures just how many graves and candles and flowers there are

florists must make half of the year's profit this time of year

it really is quite pretty