Happy All Saints Day!

[Djamila]

All Saint's Day is one of my favorite Christian holidays because, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Roman Catholics carry on traditions that are absolutely identical to Islamic traditions surrounding Bajram, Eid al'Fitr.

Usually just a few days after we visit the cemeteries to light candles for the dead and say prayers, Roman Catholics in Sarajevo do the same thing - All Saint's Day.

Here are a couple of photos from the main cemetery in Novo Sarajevo (New Sarajevo), the former Olympic village.

 

[Bishka]

All Saint's Day is one of my favorite Christian holidays because, in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Roman Catholics carry on traditions that are absolutely identical to Islamic traditions surrounding Bajram, Eid al'Fitr.

Usually just a few days after we visit the cemeteries to light candles for the dead and say prayers, Roman Catholics in Sarajevo do the same thing - All Saint's Day.

Here are a couple of photos from the main cemetery in Novo Sarajevo (New Sarajevo), the former Olympic village.

A little off the subject, but why are the graves above ground?

 

[Djamila]

And professional photos:

A Bosnian Catholic woman lights candles on a tomb in Stup Cemetery in Sarajevo, Wednesday, Nov. 1,2006. Roman Catholics across the country paid their respects to their departed loved ones at cemeteries during All Saints' Day.

A Bosnian Catholic woman holds her rosary beads at the Stup Cemetery in Sarajevo, Wednesday, Nov. 1, 2006 .Roman Catholics across the country paid their respects to their departed loved ones at cemeteries during All Saints' Day.

Thousands of Croats line up for a bus to take them to the main Mirogoj cemetery in Zagreb, Croatia, Wednesday, Nov. 1 2006. Croats traditionally visit the graves of their loved ones on the occasion of Catholic holiday All Saints Day.

 

[Djamila]

A little off the subject, but why are the graves above ground?

Before the war, these were tennis courts. All of Sarajevo's cemeteries were on the outskirts of the city, as is the case with most small, European cities. It simply wasn't safe to have funerals there, the Serbs killed hundreds of people at funerals by shelling and sniping the mourners.

So soccer fields, tennis courts, and all sorts of other bare-ground facilities in Sarajevo were converted into cemeteries that were supposed to be temporary. But, we didn't know the war would last 3.5 years and claim 12,000 lives - it's just too much to reverse now.

 

[Bishka]

Before the war, these were tennis courts. All of Sarajevo's cemeteries were on the outskirts of the city, as is the case with most small, European cities. It simply wasn't safe to have funerals there, the Serbs killed hundreds of people at funerals by shelling and sniping the mourners.

So soccer fields, tennis courts, and all sorts of other bare-ground facilities in Sarajevo were converted into cemeteries that were supposed to be temporary. But, we didn't know the war would last 3.5 years and claim 12,000 lives - it's just too much to reverse now.

Oh my goodness. I'm sorry. Thank you for answering my question though.

 

[Djamila]

Oh my goodness. I'm sorry. Thank you for answering my question though.

It's okay, I actually really love it.

Traditionally, we never separated our departed loved ones. Families buried their dead in their back yard, or in the alley between their house and the neighbors. Bodies were laid to rest in the island between highways, in city parks - virtually everywhere.

It was only because of socialist rule that this changed and proper, organized cemeteries were introduced. Now it's back to normal for Bosnians.

We have old parks, over-run with old graves...

And we have modern sports facilities, over-run with new graves...

It's just like a beautiful expression of our culture and when I look at the soccer cemeteries, as we call them, it just makes me feel nice. I feel as though we gave them a place that meant giving up something. I feel like we've wrapped them up in our own culture, you know?

 

[Djamila]

Oh, the perfect picture to show you what I mean:

The lawns on the left side of the street are all filled with graves from the war, and post-war period. But if you look across the street to the lawns on the other side, they're also filled with much older graves - from 1400s-1900s.

On the right side of the street you can say these graves belonged to people who lived in the adjacent homes. For the most part, you can say the same of the left side of the street but war-era graves could belong to people who lived anywhere, this might just have been the only safe place for a funeral that particular day.

 

[Bishka]

If you don't mind me asking, could you give me a link on the history of this war, I was a bit younger when this happened and don't know much about it.

How many estimated died?

 

[Djamila]

I really wouldn't know where to start, Becky. And I don't really want to search through such things.

Somewhere between 125,000-250,000 died. Bosnian sources say 125,000, American say 250.000. About 110,000 bodies have been found so far, 35,000 known individuals still missing, 62,000 unknown individuals still missing (this is when all members of a family were killed and there is no one to say: My X is missing, only people to say: The family X in X never showed up?)

 

[Tigress]

Here you go, Becky.

A belated, happy All Saints Day to those whom it concerns.

 

[Bishka]

Here you go, Becky.

A belated, happy All Saints Day to those whom it concerns.

Thank you.