All Saints Day is a festival to remember the dead. This is why there’s a custom of visiting ancestors’ graves, and decorating them with flowers. This tradition has close links to Christianity, but is actually rooted in ancient Celtic beliefs.

To meet public needs, Barcelona’s cemeteries will be extending their opening hours. Transports Metropolitans de Barcelona will also be increasing the number of buses on the routes that connect to the city’s main cemeteries.

A virtual tour of the funeral carriages at the Montjuïc Cemetery

The collection of funeral carriages at the Montjuïc Cemetery will be opening for virtual visits during which a cartoon character will take you on a journey through the history of these carriages, and at the same time through a history of Barcelona. The tour is an interactive one, and each visitor can choose how long they want to spend in a particular place. The link to access it is: www.cbsa.cat

On All Saints’ Day the collection will also be open to the public from 10 am to 2 pm, and there will be a sound art activity called EXIT, presented by Vicens Vacca and Jordi Soley.

A Mexican altar in Sant Andreu

A Mexican community altar is to be installed at the Sant Andreu Cemetery just behind the bell tower, in memory of all those affected by the pandemic. This has been made possible thanks to the collaboration of the Mexican Consulate, Barcelona City Council, Red GlobalMX-Nodo Michoacan, and the Nou Barris and l’Hort de Can Valent Assembly of the Unemployed. The Mexican altar is a fundamental part of Day of the Dead celebrations in Mexico. It is believed that the spirits of the dead return to the world of the living to join their families on this day, to comfort them and to console them for their loss. You can visit the altar on 1-2 November, during cemetery opening hours.

Activities at the Poblenou Cemetery

On 5 November, the Poblenou Cemetery will be offering a free screening of COCO, an animated film by Walt Disney and Pixar Animation Studios in which the plot revolves around a twelve-year-old boy who is accidentally transported to the world of the dead. As well as the film, there will be other small-scale activities, a tasting of Mexican food in the square outside the cemetery, and workshops that everyone can take part in. If you’d like to attend this cultural activity, you’ll need to make a reservation by emailing: comunicacio@cbsa.cat

USEFUL INFORMATION

Cemetery opening times

On 23, 24, 30 and 31 October, and 6 and 7 November, Barcelona Cemeteries is offering a personalised service at the offices in the cemeteries of Montjuïc, Collserola, Sant Andreu, Poblenou and Les Corts for any type of formality or consultation. On 1 November, all cemeteries will be open from 8 am until 5.30 pm.

Public transport

TMB will be increasing the number of buses to the cemeteries of Montjuïc and Collserola.

To reach Montjuïc Cemetery by public transport, additional buses will be running on line 21 (Paral-lel – Prat) on 24 and 31 October, and 1 November. Additional buses will also be available on line 107, which runs inside the cemetery itself, from 23 October until 1 November. There will also be a special shuttle service between Plaça d’Espanya and Porta de Sant Lluís on 1 November.

With regard to the Collserola Cemetery, additional buses will be running on lines 102 (Plaça d’Eivissa) from 23 October to 1 November, and 104 (Fabra i Puig) on 23, 24, 30 and 31 October and 1 November.

Further information: tmb.cat

Sales points for flowers

Stalls selling fresh and dried flowers and other decorations will be available from 23 October until 2 November at the Poblenou and Sant Andreu cemeteries. With regard to the Les Corts Cemetery, points of sale will be open from 8 am until 3 pm on 28 October, and from 8 am until 6 pm on 1 November. There will also be a point of sale at the Sant Gervasi cemetery from 8 am until 6 pm on 1 November.

Mass at the Poblenou Cemetery

A Mass for the dead will be held at 1 pm on 1 November at the Poblenou Cemetery in memory of those who died alone, and will be presided over by Bishop Javier Vilanova.