Day of the Dead

In the fourth century A.D, the Catholic heavens found themselves stuffed to the gills with saints and martyrs courtesy of the Roman Emporer Diocletian’s persecution and massacre of Christians.

As nice as it is that the machinery of history did not cast these courageous folks aside, it does means that nowadays there are more Catholic saints than you can shake a popemobile at. How on earth is a good Catholic meant to get around to venerating all those that they should?

The answer comes on November 1 or All Saints’ Day: basically an all-in-one bonanza that is dedicated to the worship of the whole morass of them in one go; a sort of spiritual version of those multigyms you’ve seen orange-painted people smiling around on the TV.

The following day is All Souls’ Day. Once the saints are happy with their tribute it is the turn of the lesser immortals, the ones whose souls were not perfectly cleansed on departing the body and therefore are having a bit of hassle setting past Heaven’s doorman, St Peter.

It is believed that the living can lend a little persuasion through prayers, alms and the sacrifice of the mass.

Both days are celebrated throughout the Catholic world. All Souls’ Day is also commonly known as Day of the Dead which translates into Croatian as Dan Mrtvih. However, it seems that practice, or more likely the demands of industry, has changed things a little. In many countries it is only November 1 that is a national holiday, this being the day that people had traditionally started to prepare their dead for the journey back to Heaven. On this day then, Croatian families visit the graves of loved ones and place candles there for them to be able to find their way through the darkness.

In Zagreb this tradition makes for a fantastic spectacle at the already majestic Mirogoj cemetery (pictured).

The spiritual exodus uphill to the north of the city begins in late afternoon, as it seems the entire population arms itself with candles and either hikes or rides one of the flotilla of buses to the high-walled national burial ground.

Should you be anywhere near the city on this day then don’t miss the effect that the several thousand lights dispersed throughout the trees and lines of burial plots has after dark. On the central path through the cemetery, a huge cross is also formed with burning wax and wicks.