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Europe

Cimetière du Père Lachaise (France)

Named after King Louis XIV’ s(14) confessor, Father François d’Aix de La Chaise, this cemetery first opened over 220 years ago in 1804. It’s home to over 70,000 ornate tombs across more than 100 acres, including those of Jim Morrison and Oscar Wilde, some estimate that over one million people are resting here.

To give you an idea of its location, it takes about an hour by metro, 30 minutes by car to reach from the Eifel Tower. Once you arrive, you may be shocked at what you find. Not unlike many cities and towns, this cemetery was planned out, its on a grid. They even have road signs and block divisions and just to prove this REALLY is a tourist attraction, there are toilets near the main entrance.

This is such a beautiful space, with stunning carved tombs and graves, cobblestone paved streets. Some say you need no more than 2 hours, in my opinion, if it’s a nice day and I had the time. I may spend the whole day wandering the rows of family tombs, admiring the artistry and craftsmanship, and maybe playing with some of the cats that like to hang out among the tombs.

High Gate Cemetery – England (north of London)

The story of High Gate starts in 1839, the cemetery in the north of London, when it opened, well London was having a lot of trouble. They had a staggeringly high mortality rate, and they were running out of place to put the dead.

According to the high gate website, burial grounds were put anywhere the was space, between houses, taverns, and shops. The cemetery was private and was created along with six others after an act of parliament was passed to open seven new burial grounds in the countryside for the burial of London’s dead. They include Kensal Green 1833, West Norwood 1836, Abney Park, Brompton and Nunhead 1840, as well as Tower Hamlets 1841.

The grounds were purchased for 3,500 pounds and were landscaped by David Ramsey, who was a renowned garden designer and landscape architect. The grounds soon became one of the most fashionable burial places; it was so popular that in 1854 it expanded and the expansion opened in 1856. One of the most famous people to be buried here is Karl Marx who died in 1883 and is now one of the most visited graves in London, which can be found in the East Cemetery of High Gate.

That is not where the story of High Gate ends, at the turn of the century the cemetery hit some hard times, first people started wanting less ornate burials, then the two wars called up all the men who used to care for the grounds, and by 1960 The London Cemetery Company which owned High Gate had gone Bankrupt and slowly the cemetery fell into the hands of nature and in some cases, vandals.

Now it’s not all bad news, after an attempt to get funding, buildings were sold in 1956 and the gates closed. A was a group founded 15 years later in 1975 whose mission was to preserve the space. Their work has dramatically paid off, and since they started. They’ve been able to restore over 70 monuments and various areas, including a chapel interior that was restored in 2011 to its 1880’s colour scheme.

If you plan to visit, make sure you check the official site as they do close for funerals at times. They also charge a fee of 4 pounds as of recording this to help with restoration efforts, and the West Side is only accessible by booking a tour.

Westminster (London)

While not exactly a cemetery, Collegiate Church of St Peter, more commonly known as Westminster Abbey, is easily one of the most visited places in London. Westminster has been the sight of Royal Weddings, Coronations, Funerals and many things in between. It also happens to be a resting place of around 3300 souls.

Founded ALLLLL the way back in 960 (yes over 1050 years ago) the building has been rebuilt a few times and added on to a few times, and is a stunning example of gothic architecture.

Westminster is not technically an Abbey, but a Royal Peculiar, which is exempt from the jurisdiction of the diocese and the archdiocese. Instead, they’re under the jurisdiction of the monarch directly and has held this status since 1560, over 460 years and counting.

Since 1066 all coronations of English royalty have happened here, along with 17 royal weddings since 1100.

There are also more than 3300 people buried here including former Prime Ministers, Poets, Actors, Scientists, Monarchs, Military leaders.

A few people you can visit include Jane Austen, Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Charles Dickens, Elizabeth I, Edward V,

Other than people buried, there are also a few people memorialized at Westminster like Martin Luther King Jr. as well as Charlotte, Emily and Anne Bronte.

Possibly more important than any of those is that Westminster is home to the tomb of the Unknown Warrior.

For those not familiar, there are several of these tombs around the world, including Canada, Australia, Italy, Japan and the United States of America, which has around 5 in different States. The one at Westminster, however, was the first.

South America

Cementerio de La Recoleta (Argentina)

Now we move on to South America and the Cementerio de La Recoleta.

Named after the neighbourhood in Buenos Aires it’s located in, the cemetery is built on the grounds of an ancient covenant and church of the Order of monks by the same name who arrived in the area in 1732. After they disbanded in 1822 and the cemetery was founded on the grounds later that year under the name Cementerio del Norte. It’s been remodelled twice, first in 1822 by Próspero Catelin, a French engineer. Then again in 1881 by Juan Antonio Buschiazzo, an Italian born, Argentina raised architect who aided in much of the modernization of Buenos Aires.

The cemetery itself is massive, spread over 5.5 hectares (14 acres), and being home to 6,400 statues, sarcophagi, coffins and crypts.

The cemetery is the final resting place of thousands. Some of the most celebrated Argentines, including Presidents, Journalists, Poets, at least one former custodian of the cemetery who allegedly haunts the grounds. And possibly most famous, First Lady of Argentina, María Eva Duarte de Perón, more commonly and lovingly called Evita.

If you’ve seen photos of this cemetery, you will understand what I mean when I tell you it is stunning. Much like Père Lachaise, there are some remarkable tombs and sculptures, but this cemetery is much more condensed with some crypts underground, inaccessible to the public.

This cemetery is massive. If you want to visit, I would recommend finding a tour to make sure you don’t get too lost and to learn more about the history and people who are resting there.

North America

Now left take one last leap over to the continent I’ve spent the most time on, North America.

Oaxaca (Mexico)

Mexico is quite well known for their culture, especially that surrounding death. Even as a kid, I remember cartoons like Scooby-Doo referencing Día de Muertos, which is what the beautiful State of Oaxaca is known so well for.

While this stunning Southern city of the same name is known for its beautiful green volcanic stone buildings from colonial times, as well as it’s stunning beaches, it is most famous for its indigenous culture.

One of the most significant events of the year is Día de Muertos which lasts a few days, starting November 1st at midnight. The first day is the time where children return, followed by the adults on November 2nd at midnight and everyone coming back at noon the 2nd to take part in the parades and other events.

For those unfamiliar, the Day of the Dead is celebrated throughout Mexico and much of Latin America. It involves the gathering of friends and family to remember those who have died and to help them on their spiritual journey. While many may think it’s a sad event, it’s actually pretty joyous.

In ancient times death was viewed merely as another part of life, and they continue to celebrate in this way. I found a few sources who noted that it was at one point observed in the summer but was moved to closer coincide with All saint’s day after the Spanish conquistadores and Catholic Church arrived. Though I wasn’t able to find the original source for that information, I would be inclined to believe it though knowing how forceful the Europeans were when they arrived in what is now Canada.

The Festival itself is incredibly beautiful, with everything from special foods, costumes, decorations, and even Parades in some cities.

This is really one of my favourite traditions of any culture. The idea of gathering with everyone I know and love and playing cards, tidying the grave area and talking about our departed relatives just seems like what everyone should be doing already. Add in a local band playing music, and it sounds like a party most people would love to attend. Especially when you see the stunning display put together with the graves decorated with marigold flowers and lit by candles. Along with all the treats and offerings for sale for the spirits who’ve returned. And maybe a few for the family still here to remember them.

Arlington

Located in Arlington, Virginia, this cemetery is home to over 400,000 souls. There are likely many things you don’t know about one of the most famous cemeteries in the United States of America.

Let’s start at the beginning; the location is in itself a big part of the history of the United States. The main building, referred to as Arlington house was once the home of Robert E. Lee. Lee is a famous confederate General. For those of you not familiar, he was one of the southern leaders, the side that ultimately lost the war, which is an integral part of the story.

The property was actually passed down to his wife, Mary Lee, who was the only surviving child of George Washington Parke Custis, at the time of his death in 1857. Mary had grown up and raised her children on the property and buried her parents there as well.

The grounds were eventually won by the Union (The North). The grounds were seized after Mary Lee could not pay the 92$ in property taxes promptly (or in person as she was extremely ill at the time) in late 1863. The government was the sole bidder at an auction in January 1864, offering $26,800, far under the estimated value of $34,100.

In December 1882 the land was returned to the Lee family after the supreme court ruled it was confiscated without due process. Less than six months later in March 1883, it was sold the property back to the government for 150,000$, which would now be equivalent to nearly 3.5 million dollars.

Both Mary and Robert E Lee, who died in 1873 and 1870 respectively, are buried in the Lee family Chapel, returned to the place they both loved so dearly.

The cemetery now consists of an impressive 624 acres and still holds interments and inurnments six days a week, holding up to 30 a day during the week, and up to 8 on Saturdays.

The grounds are open 365 days a year and has over 3 million visitors a year.

The cemetery is more than just a Civil War historical sight. It also has a considerable number of monuments and gravesites to visit including those of Presidents John F Kennedy and William Howard Taft.

Monuments to space shuttles Columbia and Challenger, A memorial to Pan Am Flight 103 as well as the Canadian Cross of Sacrifice.

Louisiana

Though there are a ton I could touch on specifically, I’m not singling out any cemetery specifically in Louisiana. There are so many beautiful spaces to see in the state, specifically in New Orleans, where there are around a dozen cemeteries that tour groups visit regularly. The most popular of which include the St. Louis Cemeteries, the Lafayette Cemeteries and the St. Vincent de Paul Cemeteries among others.

They all have an incredibly rich history, and many are now located in residential areas, so if you want to visit, try a tour before exploring on your own.

The St. Louis number 1 has an entrance fee of 20$ for a tour that you must stay with the guide for. It’s one of the most popular places to visit because it’s the oldest in the city. Being founded in 1789, it’s also the resting place of Marie Laveau, the New Orleans Voodoo Queen.

Other notable individuals like Benjamin Henry Latrobe, an architect who died of yellow fever in 1820. As well as Notorious slave owner Delphine Lalaurie is rumoured to be buried here. Eventually, Actor, Nicolas Cage will rest here. You can visit his tomb to be, as its already been built, it’s the pyramid one because of course, it is.

Other than the famous names, one of the big reasons people flock to the graves of NOLA is because of how unique they are.

The graves are above ground because the city is below sea level and prone to floods, one interesting point is that many are oven crypts.

They put a deceased person inside for one year and a day because they believed that’s how long it would take for any illnesses or infectious diseases to die off. Then they would remove the coffin and push the remains are pushed to the back of the chamber to reuse the crypt. Others have a shaft below for the same effect. Ask a mortician did a great video on this, so you can check out that video for more! You can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9A6KX2w-dss

I also want to talk a bit about the funeral tradition. The process of death in New Orleans is fascinating to me.

When a person dies, it was at one-point, tradition to have a full Jazz Funeral Procession.

These traditions are deep-rooted in the community. Death to many symbolized freedom they couldn’t have in life. The procession was meant to not only help the deceased find their way to the afterlife, but it was also meant to celebrate the release from their earthly confines and suffering they faced in life. These funerals caught on more in the mid-1900s. As time went on and costs rose, fewer people could afford what had become massive celebrations of the deceased. They became more common for fallen police officers, armed service members and influential individuals from the area.

The tradition is to have the coffin carried, often by a horse-drawn carriage, followed by the brass band playing sombre music and hymns all the way to the service at the church. Later, the sombre music would continue onto the place of burial.

After the body had been placed into its tomb, or when they were away from the church, the music would slowly start to change. Along the way, people the precession passed were invited to join the precession. This is known as the second line.

The music would change into a joyous beat, giving release to celebrate to all who had joined the procession to celebrate a life well-lived. Offering a cathartic release for those who had joined together to mourn. This would continue all the way to the reception, with anywhere from dozens to in a few cases thousands following.

I think one of the most important at least in my lifetime was one held in 2006 to commemorate the first anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastation. Thousands gathered to follow a single empty coffin on a horse-drawn carriage to commemorate the estimated 1833 souls lost.

Notre Dame De Neige & Mount Royal

The Notre Dame De Neige and Mount Royal Cemeteries have overlooked my home since they were founded in 1854 and 1852, respectively. They share a sizeable portion of Mount Royal, but they both have some unique features and incredible histories.

I’ll start with Notre Dame de Neige.

If you figured that the Cemetery and Basilica were run by the same people you would be correct. Opened in 1854 to take on the growing need for burial ground that the downtown Saint-Antoine Cemetery (near where Dorchester Square is now) the sprawling 113-hectare burial grounds are absolutely stunning. If you can look past the occasional grave stone, looks like a park. Inspired by the Parisian Père Lachaise Cemetery, the goal of the architects was to complement the classic French style with nature. The results are absolutely beautiful and earned the grounds a National historic site designation in 1999.

There are about 55 kilometres or lanes on the grounds, and over one million people have been laid to rest here. If you visit, you can see some of the 65,000 monuments and 71 family vaults. Some of which belong to people such as René Angélil, who was Céline Dion’s manager and husband. Politicians like Henri Bourassa, Robert Bourassa, Jean Drapeau and beloved Montreal Canadian Maurice Richard.

Mount Royal Cemetery on the Northside of the mountain and is a massive 165 acres. It’s easy to get lost in the winding roadways throughout the grounds, which can be found on the cemeteries website.

This cemetery offers historical walking tours and is an excellent place for bird watchers. There have been almost 150 species recorded on the grounds, making homes in the century’s old trees. The grounds were once farmland, and the cemetery replaced those that were closer to the city. It followed the American Rural Cemetery movement that saw cemeteries moved out of the center of towns and cities and into the surrounding areas. This was initially intended to help curb overcrowding and to prevent the public health issues that central cemeteries caused historically.

Mount Royal was also the sight of Canada’s first cremation. In 1900, crematoriums did not exist in Canada. Sir William MacDonald donated a generous sum of money to build the first one at the Mount Royal Cemetery, which opened in 1901 and started cremation in 1902. It remained the only cremation available in Quebec until 1975, and as far as I can tell, it’s still operational.

The reason it was the only one for so long was that though it would have helped save space, cremation was frowned upon by just about every religion. It wasn’t until 1963 that the Vatican approved of cremation and not until 1966 when priests could perform ceremonies.

Some of the people who are buried here include Prime minister John Abbott, Brewing Tycoon John Molson, builder of Canada’s first sugar refinery John Redpath, Ogilvy’s founder J. Aird Nesbitt, Zellers founder Walter P. Zeller, as well as Writer Modecai Richler.

Fairview NS (Titanic + Halifax Explosion)

Fairview Nova Scotia is home to the cemetery of the victims of the Titanic. Of the 1500 people who died in the tragedy, only 333 bodies were recovered, of those 121 are buried at Fairview.

Just so you know, there IS a Grave marked as J Dawson in the Titanic section. However the grave does not belong to Jack Dawson, but Joseph Dawson who was a coal trimmer, and was identified because of the union card he brought with him before going topside. The 23-year-old would later be identified because of that union card.

I also want to add that Fairview is also the final home to a mass grave of the victims of the Halifax Explosion of 1917. The explosion is estimated to have killed 1,950 people, including an estimated 500 children, but is thought to have killed more. The blast levelled most of the port area and injured around 9000, many of whom had anything from cuts and scrapes to breathing issues due to the smoke inhilation. As well as nearly 600 people with eye injuries from watching the disaster unfold. Many lost one eye, but records state that 16 people lost two eyes and approximately 40 went completely blind.

The small cemetery has become a big attraction for both history buffs and for Titanic fans alike. It’s one of a few places to visit in the city that have attachments to the Titanic disaster.