All Hallows coming up

In the US most people know Halloween, and are only vaguely, if at all, aware that it is the night before 'All Hallows', now known as All Saints Day, which is followed by All Souls Day. That is not the case here.

Although Halloween is beginning to be observed - and cutting jack-o-lanterns has become a popular Fall activity - that is very recent.

The Austrians really do take All Saints and All Souls seriously. It is considered to be an obligation to make sure that the family grave(s) are in good shape before the holiday, and visited then with wreaths and candles.

Have you visited any cemeteries in Vienna? I am very fond of the Neustift cemetery, but there are a lot of other local ones, as well as the big 'ZentralFriedhof'. If you haven't been, it is high time you did. Each family has a plot, usually with several people buried at different depths. The plot can be covered with a stone, but more common is to have a small lawn or flowers growing in it. In some areas you will see people come regularly to care for their plot; in other areas it is more common for a gardener to be hired to take care of the work.

At any time you will find fresh graves with the funeral wreaths piled high on some graves, candles burning on others, and people walking the paths. There may be a funeral going on in the cemetery chapel. But at this time of year, the fog gives the gravestones a mystical atmosphere, and if you pass by in the evenings just at All Saints you will see all the candles burning. Do take time to do so!