It's been a few days, so I have new things to share.
These are both pictures of the sunset taken from my apartment. It really is such a blessing to get to see this every day, even though it now happens at 4:30pm. Stupid daylight savings. It is weird when it's completely dark by 4:45 at night. I feel like I should be about to go to bed. I am trying to embrace the whole darkness thing.
Another night. Well, afternoon.
Some peeps eating dinner at a greek restaurant nearby on All Saints Day, when we had off school.
To preface these next pictures...Here in Hungary they don't celebrate Halloween, they celebrate the next day Nov. 1st, All Saint's Day. It is a National Holiday so we had they day off school, which was nice. Here is a little information, since I cannot explain it very well, about the traditional practices for All Saints Day...
"Numerous ancient customs associated with All Saints and All Souls have come down through the centuries and are still observed in many countries. Some are of a strictly religious nature, such as the custom of decorating the graves and praying in the cemeteries. This practice is general in all Catholic countries both in Europe and America. On the afternoon of All Saints'' Day or in the morning of All Souls the faithful visit each individual grave of relatives and friends. Sometimes the congregation, led by the priest, walks in procession to the cemetery. There they pray for all the holy souls in front of the cemetery chapel, then the priest recites the liturgical prayers for the dead and blesses the graves with holy water. Afterward the families separate to offer private prayers at the graves of their loved ones.
During the week preceding All Saints crowds of people may be seen in the cemeteries, usually in the evening after work, decorating the graves of their dear ones with flowers, tending the lawn, and spreading fresh white gravel around the tombs. Candles, protected by little glass lanterns, are placed around the graves or at the foot of the tombstones, to be lighted on All Saints'' eve and left burning through the night. It is an impressive, unforgettable sight to look upon the hundreds and often thousands of lights quietly burning in the darkness and dreary solitude of a cemetery. People call them "lights of the holy souls" (Seelenlichter).
To visit the graves of dear ones on All Souls is considered a duty of such import that many people in Europe will travel from a great distance to their home towns on All Saints'' Day in order to perform this obligation of love and piety."
So, that night after dinner we walked to the graveyard to see all the graves and lights. At first I was a little creeped out. I mean, when do I ever go to a graveyard for a nightly pleasure walk? But it ended up being strangely peaceful and pretty. All the candles and flowers made it seem not so scary. Not that I agree with all the rationale behind praying for the dead, but it was nice to think that poeple cared enough about their loved ones to go to that much trouble.
This is the last one from the graveyard.
This picture is still quite questionable. Some of us went to the movies on Friday night and this was a giant taxadermy display in the mall outside the theater. It's squirrells/guinea pigs? all speared and set up to be a giant foosball table, like they are the players. It was one of those things that you see, your jaw drops, you stare for a few minutes, and still cannot come up with any good reason why you are seeing what is before you. Crazy Hungarians!
At the mall. Didn't think I would feel so quite at home in a cafe with this Hungarian man at a nearby table!
Literally running through the mall into the snow outside, living up to the reputation of the "annoying Americans" we are known to be, so we didn't miss the bus to get home! Relying on Public definitely has its downfalls!
Oh yeah, did I mention that it snowed the past two days and that it is feeezing here. I guess winter has set in. I will officially begin hibernation this week. See you in the spring.
