November first is La Toussaint, All Saints Day, a far weightier holiday in France than is Halloween. It’s a day for commemoration of the dead, and this is done primarily with chrysanthemums (chrysanthèmes). If you didn’t know about Toussaint, you’d think France was having a huge Fête de Mums, because the marchés and fleuristes are full of them.
Relatives take mums to the graves of their loved ones. Let’s visit the cimetière de Montmartre:
The accumulation of colorful mums is growing.
Walking through the cemetery is peaceful and beautiful.
and new:
The famous dead:
and the unknown and forgotten dead:
There’s a museum’s worth of artwork in the cemetery:
and then there are cats….lots and lots of cemetery cats:
Well worth a visit!
Cynthia Tuttelman (aka "Tut") is a writer, family doctor and quilter who lives in Northern California and part-time each year in Paris, France. Follow along and explore the wonders of Paris.