Among those visiting on this All Saints' Day was a mother who came with her young daughter. For both of them, visiting the cemetery is a way of keeping alive the memory of family members who are no longer here. "We prefer to come today because it is more meaningful. I come with my little girl, and we feel it is a beautiful day to remember our relatives," she explains. The girl, they say, has also embraced the tradition enthusiastically since watching the film Coco. In the end, she enjoys accompanying her mother, seeing the flowers and taking in the atmosphere created on this day.
Today they brought two small bouquets, one for the grandfather and another for the grandmother. They also gave the girl a carnation. The scene reflects how remembrance is passed from parents to children through simple gestures that eventually become traditions.
A LIVING TRADITION BETWEEN GENERATIONS
Two young siblings also wanted to come by to bring flowers to their grandmother and make sure everything was in order. Although they do not necessarily wait until All Saints' Day to visit her, they acknowledge that some dates particularly invite people to return. "Perhaps on the day she passed away, as a way of remembering her, you come too. Or even on her birthday," they say.
For other families, the visit is a lifelong tradition. One couple who comes every year is clear that they have no intention of missing it. "The first is the special day. I have done it all my life and I will continue as long as I can," the woman said. Their visit also includes a small ritual: leaving fresh flowers and returning a few days later to replace them with others that will last longer.
They are different generations and have different ways of experiencing the same day. But they all share something: ultimately, the need to return, even if only for a few minutes, to the place where those who remain part of their lives rest. Because some absences are never forgotten, and some memories, like the flowers that fill the cemetery again each year, insist on remaining.
