I’m coming up on the last few days of the school vacation for All Saints’ Day or “Toussaint” as it’s known in French. Falling on November 1st, All Saints’ Day is a Catholic Holiday recognizing all saints and martyrs, known or unknown link. In Guadeloupe the Holiday is a two-day celebration that spurs big family dinners and trips to local cemeteries where many candles are laid on the graves of departed loved ones. This tradition isn’t sad or morbid, actually, the sheer number of people, the joyous camaraderie, and numerous vendors make for a party around and in the cemetery.
The festivities in Morne a L’eau, where I’m stationed as a teacher, are some of the most famous on the island due to the town’s unique and expansive, black and white cemetery. It seemed like the whole commune came out to celebrate on Friday evening; I saw a number of my students and their families. As I ascended through the narrow walkways and stairways that pass between the tombs I was amazed at the scene. What seemed like thousands of candles bathed the cemetery in reddish glow and illuminated the hundreds of people that sat, walked, and visited amongst the graves late into the evening.
Witnessing this tradition in action was definitely one of the most interesting experiences I have had thus far. Additional photos from the cemetery can be found here.
Editor’s Note: Some of the pictures in the album are a bit blurry due all the different levels of light but I thought they might still be of interest.
Tags: holidays, culture, things to do, places to see, Guadeloupe by
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