Expat In Romania

Cemeteries have never bothered me. I think this applies to most Romanians who grew up celebrating October 31st with a visit to the final resting place of friends and family members. It's probably the same for Mexicans. I've already written about All Souls' Day , and shared the requisite images of the event, so I won't go into it here, but I'm always impressed by the bustle of activity around cemeteries on this day. Small businesses pop-up as flower and candle sellers line the roads leading to the entrance, while the cars parked on either side inevitably take up the sidewalk. In spite of the bazaar-like character, it is still a solemn and subdued event by Romanian standards. On my way from an unrelated errand today, I passed the Jewish cemetery, tucked off to the side of a small dead-end road. It's relatively easy to miss, though easy enough to identify once you're standing in front of the wrought iron gate. I'd been curious about the place for y...

While North Americans are busy celebrating an ancient Celtic tradition with hooker and pimp costumes, the story in this corner of Europe is a bit different. Most of the world, in fact, does Halloween a bit differently; that is to say, there is a deeper meaning. In Romania, it's customary to pay homage at the graves of deceased relatives. While the dead are 'cared for' in this manner all year round, on this particular day everybody goes. Unlike the very expansive and rather plain cemeteries of America, the local variety, though not necessarily small, are very crowded. Like a multi-patterned quilt, the layout is never exactly linear and each grave has something a bit different. I've taken many a summer stroll through the central cemetery in Cluj, admiring the  unique headstones in the flickering sunlight and trying to appreciate the amount of history that surrounded me. The atmosphere is, as the expression goes, hauntingly beautiful. Today matters though. All Souls...