In Catalunya, a region in northeat Spain, cemeteries function as in most of Spain and in many places in Europe. Each village has a cemetery. The cemeteries are usually at a short distance from the village and enclosed with a wall and gates. The cemeteries are above ground and consist of stacks of individual vaults or spaces, spaces large enough for a coffin and a few other things. The distance from the village is to avoid any germs or odors from wafting back into the village as the remains are in general not embalmed as in America. All the families in the village originally had spaces reserved for them in the cemetery.
When a family member passes. His or her coffin is placed into the vault. The vault is closed with an inscribed marble, stone, or cement slab. Usually the family will have many of the individual vaults next to each other so the family can sort of remain together even in death. The family would have originally paid for their vaults and there is a small yearly stipend to be paid for the upkeep of the cemetery. After some time the family will use up their alloted spaces. And the cemetery is only so big, or so small is a better description. If the family increases in numbers with the generations, and there are no more spaces, although I think for a price, more spaces can be created, the used vaults are opened. The casket is removed, the skeletal remains are placed back into the vault without the casket and the new coffin is slid in pushing the skull and bones to the little extra room in the vault at the far end of the casket. The vault is now closed, and the inscribed memorial stone gets a new name added underneath the older one.
So if anyone ever visits one of these cemeteries in Spain, and wonders how they get so many people into such a small space, this is how it is done.
Halloween is not celebrated here, rather the next day, what many people call All Saints Day, all the vaults are brought flowers and it is the big day of the year for the cemetery, full of flowers and floral arrangements and long-faced people, even needing police to direct and reroute the traffic around the cemeteries, due to the traffic and congestion.
