Grobki (Parent’s Day): A New Perspective on Cemeteries
Hello Fellow Travellers,
I prefer not to dwell for too long on one particular subject in my blog but, in the joint spirit of my recent posting on cemeteries and the approaching time of remembrance in North American society, I felt compelled to briefly mention this.
Soon after posting my most recent article on cemeteries, I coincidentally came across a wonderfully unique practice common in the Ukraine and many other countries of the former Soviet Union, and one about which I had never heard before. In Ukrainian, it is called “Grobki” (sometimes directly translated as “graves”, but usually meaning “Parents Day”). Unfortunately, very little information about this Slavic holiday exists online, at least in English. However, that which does exist paints a picture of an ancient tradition of family celebration, respect for elders and ancestors and, of course, food and vodka.
The essence of Grobki is the celebration of loved ones, both alive and deceased. And, according to Ukrainians at least, what better place to hold such a celebration than in the cemeteries, alongside those loved ones that can no longer celebrate with them in person.
On the 10th day after Easter (still considered part of the Easter celebrations in their country), often dressed in traditional garb, Ukrainian families gather in cemeteries near the final resting places of their ancestors. They picnic near the graves of their family members, honouring their memory by eating good food and drinking good vodka. Families show respect for their elders, and honour the dead further by cleaning their graves, planting new flowers that will blossom over the summer, and decorate them with rushnyky (traditional hand embroidered cloths) and colored garlands. People chat, reminisce about days gone by, and silently remember loved ones no longer with them. At the end of the picnic, as a final gift and show of love and respect, the picnickers leave Easter cakes and glasses of vodka on the graves or tombstones.
Travel can be an amazing perspective-widening experience, especially if travellers allow it to be. Personally, I am always looking to expand my perspective through the search for and discovery of uniquely local experiences. This can provide one of the ultimate remedies for the burnt-out traveller, and can actually change your life for the better. Grobki is a prime example of a practice that is completely foreign to a North American and unique to a particular part of the world. Regardless of their nationality, humans invariably have practices to remember loved ones and celebrate family. The beauty of travel is that it allows a person to experience the vast variety of such practices, and how they are all coloured by and a product of local history, tradition, and life.
It is one of my greatest hopes that I never cease to uncover cultural experiences like this that are entirely new to me. And, I hope that all burnt-out travellers out there start and continue search them out as well, for they will enrich their lives in the process.
Happy travels,
The Burnt-out Traveller
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