The celebration of All Saints Day in central Europe

Walking home from school in late autumn, I was stopped in my tracks by a display of exquisite dried arrangements in front of a shop. They were gorgeous, and I had never seen anything like them. I immediately wanted to buy one for my flat.

They were not made of flowers, but did have flower shapes made from small curls of wood, nuts, seedpods or other such items. I soon learned they were not for home décor but rather for decorating family plots in the local cemeteries on All Saints Day, Nov. 1.

This is a day that not only Catholics celebrate but Anglicans as well. Here in America, we have several Protestant denominations, whereas in central Europe Christians are generally either Catholic or Anglican.

Europeans tend to have a much different attitude about death than Americans. They revere their memories in various ways. All Saints Day is a gathering of families from near and far. I attended the ceremonies in Liezen, Austria, the town where my ancestors are buried and where my grandparents grew up. Members of the family traveled there from several areas of the country. We first gathered at the grave sites in what was the “Old Cemetery” next to the church, and stood as a priest walked between the rows praying and sprinkling holy water as he went. Every plot had family members in quiet attendance. The people buried there were from centuries past.

After all the graves were blessed, everyone moved in a parade down the street through town to the new cemetery. It was quite extensive and beautiful with well-trimmed walkways and large trees. Since I have two branches of family, I chose to stand with the couple I was staying with — my mother’s cousin and his wife.

The graves were all tidy and clean, with attractive arrangements of plants and dried bouquets, and usually edged by a low concrete border. Headstones are often large enough to accommodate several names. The ubiquitous candles in tall, red containers glowed in daytime, as well as at night. These candles are sold in shops all year long. The priest repeated the ceremony he did at the old cemetery with people standing by their family plot. It is a beautiful and reassuring ceremony.

Afterward, folks strolled around, greeted friends and had pleasant visits. Like Thanksgiving here, families usually got together later for a big dinner.

When a person dies, traditionally a notice is posted in various places around town. It gives information about the deceased and also the date and time of the funeral service. In Liezen, there is a small chapel in the cemetery where people can bring flowers as a tribute to someone who had just died. I stopped one day and the little building was overflowing with flowers and ribbon draped wreaths on stands announcing who had sent them.

Back home in Idaho, I have received notices of family members who have passed away which included a photo of the person, and a short saying or prayer, all arriving in a long white envelope with a black border.

In Czech Republic, most of the headstones have a nice photo of the person who was laid to rest there. I found it a lovely tradition because you can see folks as they were and as the family likes to remember them.

The grave areas are kept in perfect condition all year long with the red candles lit. Families take pride in landscaping and maintaining their tiny memorials. I think for them it is as if the person buried there is still a part of the family. I have a picture postcard of Liezen at night, city lights ablaze and with the cemetery in the foreground. Close examination reveals many tiny, red candles glowing there. It’s easy to imagine it almost as a community still there and being loved and cared for as always. I find it a comforting idea.

You can learn a lot about a culture from the way they treat their dead. And those ceremonies, beautiful dried arrangements and glowing candles certainly honor the lost loved ones.

Johnson, of Grangeville, worked in three different European countries — Hungary, Czech Republic and Slovenia — in the 1990s and early 2000s. She can be reached at johnsondixie@hotmail.com.