All Souls' Day Pilgrimage

A good pilgrimage for the day. I set out in daylight, arriving at the cemetery in Rososz around sunset, and walk back in darkness. Five kilometres there, five kilometres home. And a chance to look at a cemetery at the end of the two-day commemorations of Zaduszki, All Souls' Day or in Latin, Commemoratio Omnium Fidelium Defunctorum. Those Poles who had not visited the graves yesterday came today, which means that maximum candlelight is to be seen in the evening of 2 November. 

Doing my shopping in Lidl on Friday, the aisles were blocked with pallets of votive candles, advertised as having a burn time of 72 hours. Buy on Friday, light on Saturday, it will still be burning brightly on Sunday. And on Sunday evening, cars were still turning up bringing visitors to the cemetery.

Rososz is a small community; the cemetery belongs to the parish church, which was built in 1985, the earliest graves in this cemetery dates back to the late 1980s. As such, this is an unusual place to visit; it's neither large, nor historic, nor famous. But a visit it merits, the destination of a reasonably long walk. As with yesterday's visit, I look at each grave, noting the names – so many familiar surnames, reminding me of people I grew up with in Polish London. And those surnames that raise a wry smile, simply because they don't exist in an English context (Jeż = Hedgehog or Myszka = Mouse). And the age at death. Like in Chynów, so many died all too early – especially the men. All too often I see: "Zm. śm. trag." the date and the age; "zmarł śmiercią tragiczną" – he died a tragic death.

I came, I experienced, I felt.

This time last year:
To Warka, again

This time two years ago:
Early-November reflections
[More photographs from Rososz cemetery]

This time six years ago:

Autumn moods, Ealing

This time seven years ago
Walks in the early-November sun

This time ten years ago:
Foggy evening, London

This time 11 year:
Kraków – Europe's top short-break destination 

This time 13 years ago:
Rzeczpospolita publishes infamous 'trotyl' Smolensk story

This time 14 years ago:
Wilanowska - south Warsaw transport hub

This time 16 years ago:
Powiśle on a cold, clear autumn morning

This time 16 years ago:
Okęcie "to remain Warsaw's only airport"

This time 18 years ago:
Searching for autumnal perfection

Death comes to mind

Today is All Saints' Day (Wszystkich Świętych), tomorrow is All Souls' Day (Zaduszki). Falling this year on a weekend, the two days draw all of Poland to its cemeteries to remember the departed. The time of year coincides with the death of both of my parents; my mother on the night of 31 October to 1 November (2015), my father on 28 October (2019).

Poland's cemeteries are ablaze with candles; this is a beautiful and meaningful tradition that is taken seriously by most and ignored by few. I find the best time to go is just after sunset, in the fading light of day. My walk today took me to the cemetery in Chynów. 

As I have noted in past years, I am struck by how young men used to die in rural Poland. I walked along one row of graves and counted 16 belonging to men; ten died younger than my current age (68), only six died at the age of 68 or older. Having said that, the newest graves do show a marked tendency for greater male longevity than the historical average. Having said that, the wójt (mayor) of the gmina (municipality) of Chynów, Tadeusz Zakrzewski, died on 19 September – aged 66. The election for a new mayor takes place on Sunday 7 December; candidates' posters are up all over the gmina.

Below: the nearest grave is of father and son; both died at the age of 67.

I walked home the long way, down the (recently asphalted) ulica Spokojna, as far as the railway tracks. Left: an impressionist view looking towards the forest. The moon might look full, but it is only 81% waxing gibbous. Will be full just before midnight on the fifth (fireworks night in the UK). Note the reflection of the moon at the bottom of the image; this is an artefact of the lens rather than a puddle. 

Below: the San InterCity express from Warsaw to Przemyśl hustles through Chynów station, exactly on time. Stopping at Warka, Radom, Sandomierz and Rzeszów on the way.

Below: gratuitous cat photo – Arcturus on the doorstep to see me off on my walk. "Don't be too long, human, cats will be wanting to eat." Looking very grown up at four and half months old. About the same size as his mother, Wenusia.

I am still adhering to my SAD-busting routine, waking up half an hour before sunrise. Below: view from my kitchen window of dawn breaking through the trees of the forest next door to my działka.

The sight of a sunrise is powerfully uplifting; it sets me off for the day and is a signal that one has to make the most of the day – and one's life.

This time last year:
All Saints' Day, Chynów

This time three years ago:
Thoughts on the occasion of Allhallowtide 

This time four years ago:
Four days of sublime Golden Autumn

This time six years ago:
Obit

This time seven years ago:
The Good News

This time nine years ago:

Jeziorki railway modernisation – update

This time ten years ago:
On the death of my mother

This time 11 years ago:
Marek Raczkowski on All Saints' Day

This time 12 years ago:
Disclosure of UFOs - are we ready? 

This time 13 years ago:
Jeziorki pond development

This time 14 years ago:
Captain Wrona's perfect gear-up landing

This time 17 years ago:
Where's the daylight gone?

This time 18 years ago:
All Saints' Day - Wszystkich Świętych