Are cemetary Halloween walks kinda disrespectful ?

[Mikey]

I'm all for Halloween fun but the recent trend of Halloween cemetery walks seems kinda disrespectful to the deceased and their families.

The town I live in right now has an old cemetery... it's about 20 feet away from me as we speak.

People are still buried there, but not as often as a modern cemetery.

Around Halloween the town sponsors nighttime cemetery walks.

Basically you show up at a certain time after dark (you're told to bring a flashlight).

The group of people are then lead around the cemetery being told a combination of history and ghost stories --- ending with free donuts and coffee.

It all seems harmless enough but there's a tiny part of me that thinks it's kinda disrespectful.

What do you think ?

BTW, i'm not originally from here so I have no friends or family buried there.

[Nostalgiabuff]

yeah, I am with you Mike. it's kind of disrespectful

[Brown Bear]

Cemeteries are there by nature for others to pay their respects for lives lost. If someone plans to have a fun little jaunt through for some kicks on Halloween, then yes, I find that disrespectful.

[Hector]

Nah, not to me. The deceased could give two craps about it. I'm just going with what my late father said..."once I'm gone, do whatever you want with my ashes...toilet bowl or the ocean, either way is fine by me"...

Our family doesn't make light of it, but we are respecting his wishes, not to be attached to certain things.

In Mexico, Dia de Los Muertos is about celebration of the dead...you are allowed to party at cemeteries...and so on.

So just strolling around with a flashlight, telling ghost stories, eating donuts, etc, at a cemetery, that's not even remotely an issue with me.

[daz71]

if i was buried i wouldn't want someone eating donuts on my grave i can't stand the smell of 'em.

[starsky]

Nah, not to me. The deceased could give two craps about it. I'm just going with what my late father said..."once I'm gone, do whatever you want with my ashes...toilet bowl or the ocean, either way is fine by me"...

Our family doesn't make light of it, but we are respecting his wishes, not to be attached to certain things.

In Mexico, Dia de Los Muertos is about celebration of the dead...you are allowed to party at cemeteries...and so on.

So just strolling around with a flashlight, telling ghost stories, eating donuts, etc, at a cemetery, that's not even remotely an issue with me.

yup! totally agree!

[cjefferys]

I don't really see any problem with it, as long as there is no vandalism or littering. Hell, my friends and I would often visit the local cemetary on Halloween night when I was a kid during our trick or treating route.

[palitoy]

I once went to a church sale that had people setting up on the grave sites, that felt disrespectful.

[Duncan]

In Mexico, Dia de Los Muertos is about celebration of the dead...you are allowed to party at cemeteries...and so on.

So just strolling around with a flashlight, telling ghost stories, eating donuts, etc, at a cemetery, that's not even remotely an issue with me.

This is what I thought of, too. It's a cultural thing. In the US, cemeteries are more formal & taboo, and I think we could benefit from a slightly more casual attitude. Remembering the dead with Dia de Los Muertos seems like a nice way to go about it.

[Hector]

And incidentally Dia de Los Muertos is their version of Halloween as well...just separated by a day or two.

November first is when the souls of the children come back...and November second it's the adult souls' turn...and to welcome them...celebrations are held.

Our household doesn't practice it, we are too Americanized...but we understand it.

[enyawd72]

It's all relative. Critters of every kind scamper around the cemetery, eating and playing. Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, birds...no big deal if it's people doing it, as long as they don't damage anything.

Heck, I saw a couple deer grazing before in the cemetery where my mom's buried. They were standing right on top of someone's grave, just munching away.

[Mikey]

I think i'd give animals a free pass.

My main family grave stone is like a magnet for birdsh_t

[Hector]

It's all relative. Critters of every kind scamper around the cemetery, eating and playing. Squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, birds...no big deal if it's people doing it, as long as they don't damage anything.

Heck, I saw a couple deer grazing before in the cemetery where my mom's buried. They were standing right on top of someone's grave, just munching away.

Exactly, as long as people don't damage anything...it should be okay.

Now if some drunk yahoo starts urinating on a tomb...then that dude deserves a pointy steel boot right in the you know where...

[HardyGirl]

Well, I used to live near when Clement C. Moore is buried. (Twas The Night Before Christmas), at Intercession Church in NYC. Some of the local folk were invited to a celebration of the poem around Christmas time. We recited the poem over his grave, and went back to the church for snacks afterwards. I always went to day camp at Intercession, and once we went out to the graveyard to make crayon rubbings. I didn't feel comfortable making them of the gravestones, so I made some of the path. In other words, I don't see the harm in it as long as there's not vandalism.

[JDeRouen]

I agree with Hector on this.