We were carving some pumpkins to make jack-o’-lanterns tonight. Something very new to me, since I had never done it in Poland. We don’t celebrate Halloween, at least not officially, but there are more and more costume parties, trick-or-treat walks and skeletons, witches and artificial pumpkins on the shelves of supermarkets.

There is a different tradition in Poland, on the 1st of November people go to cemeteries to visit their relatives. At the cemetery where my grandparents were buried it’s getting crowded in the early afternoon. Usually it’s pretty muddy, but still people are dressed up, and all black leather boots and shoes are colored with brown chunks of mud. It is cold, but there are thousands of candles, each grave would have at least 15, some probably over 50 candles, so it’s actually warm. All you can smell is melting wax, the air is full of candle smoke to the point that it’s getting foggy.

There is a service you can hear through the cemetery speakers. And after that the priest is going for a walk with an organist behind him, and they are walking to all sections of the cemetery to do some prayers and holy water sprinkling.

After that people slowly are moving towards the gates, some smoke and talk outside on the street, some go home right away.

There is this big cemetery in Krakow, I think it is many square miles, where a lot of famous and ordinary people are resting together in peace. After dark it is the most tremendous place to visit, and walk through, surrounded by millions of small candle lights. For some it is a fun experience to have on a walk with friends, for others a time for deeper thoughts on what this life and death is all about, for those who believe it might be a time to connect with the dead, for all it is something to remember.

I wish I had been to that cemetery during that time at least once. I must go some day, hopefully.