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Gravediggers' cemetery party hits raw nerve
msnbc ^ | 6/30/05 | msnbc

Posted on 06/30/2005 12:46:34 PM PDT by minus_273

BRUSSELS - The mourning parents of a traffic accident victim who visited their son’s grave near Antwerp were shocked to find the local gravediggers enjoying their annual barbecue at the graveyard.

Workers at the cemetery in Merksem had music playing and their children were running around near the graves, De Morgen newspaper said Wednesday.

The parents called the police. Antwerp city hall said it had never granted permission for the Friday night party.

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.msn.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Political Humor/Cartoons; Unclassified
KEYWORDS: gravedigger; weird
weird..
1 posted on 06/30/2005 12:46:38 PM PDT by minus_273
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To: minus_273
The mourning parents of a traffic accident victim who visited their son's grave near Antwerp were shocked to find the local gravediggers enjoying their annual barbecue at the graveyard.

What were they barbecueing? Was this deep pit barbecue?

2 posted on 06/30/2005 12:48:04 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative (Hey! Hey! Ho! Ho! Andrew Heyward's got to go!)
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To: minus_273

I grew up next to a cemetery so it never held any real mystery to me. It was a playground in my eyes.


3 posted on 06/30/2005 12:50:43 PM PDT by cripplecreek (I zot trolls for fun and profit.)
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To: Paleo Conservative

On Memorial Day many years ago, the cemetery visit was a day-long event in my little home town. The high school band would play and people brought box lunches and met relatives.


4 posted on 06/30/2005 12:51:04 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Paleo Conservative
What were they barbecueing? Was this deep pit barbecue?

Yeah, 6-foot deep. Not sure who was the center of attention, though.

5 posted on 06/30/2005 12:51:06 PM PDT by theDentist (The Dems have put all their eggs in one basket-case: Howard "Belltower" Dean.)
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To: mhking

Strange. Don't know if it's a just damn however?


6 posted on 06/30/2005 12:52:12 PM PDT by Springman
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To: minus_273

Weird, yes… But these days as long as no one had a chain saw and a leather mask at the BBQ, the diggers should rent a pavilion at the park from now on, the apology should be accepted, and they should all just forget about it.


7 posted on 06/30/2005 12:52:20 PM PDT by 70times7 (An open mind is a cesspool of thought)
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To: theDentist

were they drinking Belgian wine?


8 posted on 06/30/2005 12:52:39 PM PDT by rahbert
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To: minus_273
Stay away from the fire or you'll start coffin.
9 posted on 06/30/2005 12:58:36 PM PDT by ditto h
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To: ditto h

It's not the cough that carries you off - its the coffin they carry you off in!


10 posted on 06/30/2005 1:24:05 PM PDT by Onager
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To: minus_273
Were they driving this around?


11 posted on 06/30/2005 1:26:45 PM PDT by Feiny (I put the purrr in freeper, baby)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
On Memorial Day many years ago, the cemetery visit was a day-long event in my little home town.

Still does in my little town.

12 posted on 06/30/2005 1:27:20 PM PDT by mware ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche........ "Nope, you are"-- GOD)
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To: cripplecreek
I grew up next to a cemetery so it never held any real mystery to me. It was a playground in my eyes.

Same here...I had an Uncle who owned a cemetary and his brother owned the mortuary, LOL! Hide and seek, anyone?

The Uncle that owned the mortuary had a huge old house that had secret passageways in the walls. It also had a long curved stairway from the first to the second floor, we used to love to slide down the bannister. It was so much fun!

13 posted on 06/30/2005 1:33:55 PM PDT by ravingnutter
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To: Onager
They were serving ZOMBIE CAKE!!!


14 posted on 06/30/2005 1:35:11 PM PDT by Feiny (I put the purrr in freeper, baby)
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To: minus_273
If it was anyone other than gravediggers I would think it was weird. But since my hubby used to be one and we love cemeteries this doesn't bother me. Afterall, without them no one would be underground.

Grave Digger Motto: It Could Be Worse...It Could Rain.

15 posted on 06/30/2005 2:19:26 PM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
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To: TXBubba
My mom tells the story every year about her grandmother from Sweden who would bring a lunch (for four or five people) in the 1930s and 40s and also bring plants and shrubs to put on the graves.
It was a kinder, gentler time.
16 posted on 06/30/2005 8:02:29 PM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

I should clarify that I would not think it strange for Memorial Day or for a family to do it. I would think it strange if some other unrelated group/business held a party in the cemetery. I think the Day of the Dead holiday in Mexico is held with parties in the cemeteries.


17 posted on 07/01/2005 12:09:15 PM PDT by TXBubba ( Democrats: If they don't abort you then they will tax you to death.)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

My folks (Norwegians) always went to the cemetary on Memorial Day. We took rakes and other gardening tools, and always transplanted flowering plants on the graves of departed family members. Still a fond memory.


18 posted on 07/01/2005 12:17:24 PM PDT by JRjr (hMMM?)
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