Finados

Today is a holiday. Finados is best described as a very tame Day of the Dead without the candy, skeletons, or parades. People visit the recently cleaned and tidied cemeteries to honor the dead with candles and flowers. I’ve been meaning to check out one of the cemeteries since I arrived, so this was a good chance to do so.

Cemetery in Batista Campos with candle offerings

Most of the tombs and crypts are above ground; they remind me of the cemeteries in New Orleans. The Batista Campos cemetery was surprisingly empty considering that most of the existing tombs date from the late 19th century. Some of the more popular tombs were covered in candles and flowers, and a few had candy offerings which are certain to attract rats once night falls. From what I gather, certain tombs have followings and act sort of like patron saints. Two tombs with small children and one with a slave were very popular.