We experienced a very different type of holiday here in Poland, All Saint's Day. It's not like anything we do in the United States. On this day, stores, schools, and businesses are closed and people travel all over Poland to visit the graves of family members that have passed away. For some that have lost loved ones recently, this can be a somber time. For others, this can be a time of joy reminiscing and spending time with family. For us, we were told that it was worth a visit to a local cemetery so that we could take in the beauty of the holiday. So, we did. It seems odd to find beauty in a cemetery and yet it really was quite beautiful!
First though, I have to share with you a bit of ignorance on my part. For the month prior to this holiday, we kept seeing all these lanterns for sale in EVERY store. At first, I thought "Wow, people really do love their lanterns. Everyone must decorate their homes the same way this time of year." It wasn't until a few weeks ago that a light bulb went off in my head that these must be the lights used to decorate graves during All Saint's Day. Indeed, they are and they make a stunning display as you walk through the cemetery, especially after dark.
On this day, buses were running about every ten minutes. So, it was easy to catch a bus and follow the crowd to the cemetery. By the time we arrived at the entrance, the bus was quite full and the cemetery was busy with visitors. We took our time roaming around and observing the graves being careful to be respectful. Unlike traditional graves in the U.S., traditional Polish graves are completely covered with a stone platform and a headstone. It's on this platform that flowers and candles are placed. Many graves even included younger photos of the deceased.
Here are some photos we captured:
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| Lanterns come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. |
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| Before entering the cemetery, there were several places where flowers, and lanterns could be purchased. |
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| This area at the entrance to the cemetery is dedicated to the Polish people who died in exile. |
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| This area is dedicated to Salesians. |
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| Many graves have small benches facing the stones. |
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| We planned our trip so that we could see the cemetery both in daylight and darkness. The sky was beautiful. The trees were beautiful. The temperature was 60 degrees with no elements. A perfect day to remember loved ones! |
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We watched a drone go over the cemetery while we were walking. This photo was taken of the cemetery we were visiting.
Photo Cred: Dron Expert https://www.facebook.com/drony.lubin/ |
