Flowers in the Cemetery

All Saints Day

The first of November was another official holiday in Portugal¹. It was the 267th anniversary of the “Lisbon earthquake” but that is not the reason it is a holiday. Instead, the Portuguese remember their relatives from the past. It was All Saints Day.

Flowers to remember those who are no longer with us on earth.

Touring the Cemetery

I had been speaking to one of our subcontractors a few days earlier. We needed to meet to discuss his quote for underfloor heating. “I must go to the cemetery today,” he said. As the cemetery is about 5 blocks from our future home, we agreed he would call me when he was done. I knew many countries with strong Roman Catholic traditions celebrated All Saints Day. Truth be told, the holiday has its roots in pagan rituals.

As it turns out, the morning of 1 November was foggy, misty, and gloomy this year. So at about 07:30, I decided it was a perfect time to visit the VRSA cemetery.

Mausoleums as you enter the cemetery.

The cemetery is located at the northern end of the industrial zone. As you enter you see some of the “fancier” mausoleums. If you peek inside you may see lace draperies, small religious statues, and artificial flowers on display. As I went further into the cemetery I found what I assume are more modern mausoleums, these had aluminum doors like those you might find on a Portuguese residence. I found this “interesting”.

In the center of the cemetery, you’ll find graves surrounded by columbariums. It seemed every niche contained flowers. Based on the dates, the white ones in the photo at the top of the post were older, while newer ones were built of black granite.

Newer columbariums.

Workers were already on site that morning…moving rolling ladders that permitted them to reach the highest rows. I also saw a few people paying their respects.

Traditional attire of a woman that has lost her husband.

From time to time I have seen women about town dressed in black from head to toe. I have been told this is the very traditional attire of a woman that is mourning the loss of her husband.

Tradition

At 09:00 the church bells rang out calling the faithful to a special mass. As the day progressed, the cafes filled with Portuguese families. Stores opened to take advantage of the many Spanish visitors who were also off from work. Later in the day candles were lit at the grave sites and children went door to door exclaiming, O Pão por Deus.

The Earthquake

The 1755 earthquake and tsunami were devastating events that were made worst by their occurrence on the morning of All Saints Day. The earthquake, estimated at 8.0, occurred when thousands were gathered in churches that collapsed around them. Fires spread throughout the city from the hundreds of candles that lit the chapels. If you want to experience this event, check out this post on Quake, an Interactive Exhibit.

One final note. As a child, my brother and I often accompanied our parents to our grandparents’ grave sites in Philadelphia. Such visits occurred every month or so, typically after church. But traditions changed. My parents were cremated, and their ashes are in my brother’s house along with my Uncle Eddie’s.² My visit to the VRSA cemetery is the first time I have visited a cemetery in over 50 years. I wonder if people in America still go to cemeteries every month or so. Do they place flowers on graves at Easter? Wreathes at Christmas?

1. From 2013 to 2016, All Saints Day was one of four national holidays that the Portuguese government suspended. The four days affected were ‘All Saints’ Day (1 November); Corpus Christi (60 days after Easter), 5 October, commemorating the Portuguese Republic's formation in 1910; and 1 December, which marks Portuguese independence from Spanish rule in 1640. This “austerity measure” was very unpopular and all four holidays have been restored.

2. Funny story…my brother was helping my parents move from Delaware to The Villages (where Denise and I used to live). They insisted on him driving their car (which neither of them should have been driving) to Florida. He was packing the car when he came upon a purple velvet Crown Royal pouch in the trunk. He brought it inside and asked my parents if they wanted the booze. “Oh that’s Uncle Eddie,” my mother explained, meaning it was his ashes. “Eddie never liked Florida…you keep him”.