November 2nd is a national holiday in Uruguay, as the country celebrates "El Dia de los Difuntos." It's not a morbid occasion at all, but a time of remembrance and togetherness as families visit the cemetery to tend the graves of their deceased relatives, reflect on their lives and pray for their souls. We walked to the "Cementerio Central" and were pleasantly surprised by the orderly and well-maintained gardens that lie behind the high walls of the site, creating an oasis of quiet green space in the middle of a busy city. In contrast to the rundown Recoleta cemetery in Buenos Aires, Montevideo's central graveyard offers a peaceful sanctuary that is neither eerie nor depressing.
An observance that is part Roman Catholic ritual, part African and part Aztec, the "Day of the Dead" is celebrated in Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Ecuador and Bolivia as well as Uruguay. In other parts of Latin America, the day is marked with picnics in the cemetery, and the Hallowe'en tradition of going door-to-door asking for treats. In Montevideo, bouquets of flowers are placed on the graves and families gather at home to enjoy a meal in honour of the deceased.
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| The central tree-lined path leads to a sepulchre |
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| Marble pieta inside the sepulchre, framed by ornate stained-glass windows |
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| Family members bring flowers for the gravesite |
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| A feline resident |
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| The high walls surrounding the cemetery contain niches for funerary urns |
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| A ladder is provided for cleaning and decorating niches |
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| A yellow bird perches on a statue |
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| A moment of quiet reflection |
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| Birds of Paradise adorn a family tomb |
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| The south gate of the cemetery provides a vista of Rio de la Plata |
