Catalonia's cemeteries fill with visitors on All Saints' Day to honor the dead

Thousands of Catalans across the region visited cemeteries on All Saints’ Day to pay tribute to their departed loved ones.

As is customary, cemeteries experienced heavy attendance in the morning as families gathered to clean and decorate graves and niches with flowers.

Opening hours will be extended throughout the weekend to accommodate the influx of visitors. In Barcelona, cemeteries will remain open from 8 am to 6 pm.

The city council has also increased bus services to the Montjuïc and Collserola cemeteries.

In addition, temporary flower stalls have been set up outside the main cemeteries in the Catalan capital, operating with extended hours.

Remembering loved ones

At the Sant Feliu de Llobregat cemetery, just outside Barcelona, a string trio played near the chapel, accompanying visitors on this special day.

Ana Gassió, general director of the funeral company PFB, told the Catalan News Agency (ACN) that people have a "deep attachment" to the cemetery and their loved ones, and they want to remember them and "reconcile themselves."

"Today is about accepting death and celebrating the life of those who have passed," she says.

Gassió also explained that All Saints’ Day is when the work of funeral professionals is most visible.

"It's the day when we feel we can be at the service of families without the urgency of a recent death," she said. "It's a very special day because it also allows the work of funeral companies to be appreciated."

The cemetery also features the Tree of Remembrance, an initiative that provides cards for family and friends to write messages to those they have lost.

Once written, the cards can be hung on the branches of the olive tree. "People really write very beautiful things," Gassió said.

She also explained that the general trend in the sector is that cremation has become the most popular post-death option.

Nearly 60% of all deceased choose to be cremated, while secular ceremonies without religious symbolism already account for more than 30% of the total.

The one-person cemetery of Bausen

In Bausen, a small Pyrenean village in the Val d’Aran region, there are two cemeteries. One is located near the Sant Pèir church, where most of the town’s residents are buried.

The other, hidden in the middle of the forest about a 600-meter walk from the village, is the smallest cemetery in Spain, resting place of just one person.

This solitary grave tells the fascinating story of the Lovers of Bausen. At the beginning of the 20th century, two young villagers, Sisco and Teresa, fell in love.

When they requested permission to marry from the church, they were denied because they were related.

Teresa died at the age of 33 in May 1916. The local priest refused to bury her in the main cemetery, claiming she had lived "in sin."

In response, the villagers rallied together and, in less than 24 hours, built a cemetery for Teresa in the heart of the forest, where she remains to this day.

The gravestone bears the inscription "A mi amada Teresa" (To my beloved Teresa), and is often adorned with fresh flowers.

Juanito Graus, a resident of Bausen, explained that Teresa's grave is not only visited on All Saints' Day but also draws numerous tourists throughout the year.

Although Teresa’s family no longer lives in Bausen, they continue to maintain the grave, keeping it clean and filled with flowers.

The cemetery was declared five years ago a cultural asset of local interest by the Aran government. 

Breaking the taboo of death

In the Barcelona neighborhood of Gràcia, a street performance featuring a coffin invited passersby to reflect on death.

As part of the festival "Life at the End of Life," the Pallapupas and Acts of Liberation collectives staged a performance designed to prepare people for "the end" and encourage reflection on how to accompany loved ones on this journey.

The artists placed an empty coffin in the middle of the square, allowing volunteers to lie inside for a few minutes.

The aim, according to the organizers, is "to break the taboo of death."

"Society runs away from anything that makes us uncomfortable or is unpleasant," argued Àlex Prats, from the organization.

"We have shown death a red card and kicked it out of society, but our aim is to bring it back into everyday life as what it really is: a natural fact," he explained.