We Laugh at Death

We are Romanians. We laugh at Death. We have the guts to face the darkness with light in our hearts. We celebrate life.

Up north, in a small village called Sapanta from the Maramuresh land, is probably one of the most interesting tourist attractions in Romania.

Inspired by ancient archaic beliefs (from the times when the brave Dacians used to laugh at Death and run into battle fearless), the Merry Cemetery is a chronicle of the local village.

The crosses talk. They tell stories about the people who lived and died there. We owe this stunning creation to the Romanian craftsman Ioan Stan Patras. Back in 1935 he started sculpting the crosses, painting them blue and decorating them with scenes from the lives of the deceased, then adding a plus of spirit with amusing epitaphs.

Burn in hell the taxi cab
That came from Sibiu town
Of all the places in the world
It had to hurtle down
Right by our house, and hit me so
That I was sent to death below
And left my parents full of woe.

So when you see this, you who are a first time visitor of this blog, or you, who come here often enough but you are still not convinced that Romania is an “interesting” country, what do you have to say?

Still not convinced? Come back again. I have more wonders to show you!

When in Sapanta, make sure you don’t miss the beautiful, unique Wooden Churches of Maramures