Polish Funeral

Today we attended the funeral of the mother of our Polish teacher (Kasia grew up in Poland but hasn't lived there since she married a man from the Netherlands, who now works for the World Bank in DC, where she taught us- whew!). There was a Catholic mass inside this beautiful old church (no heat!). Every inside surface was painted in lovely, faded colors and some simply decorated Christmas trees were still around the altar. Two elderly priests performed the mass and cemetery staff served as pall bearers.

After the mass, we followed the coffin to the burial plot. It's a huge cemetery so the walk was about 3/4 mile. At the site, the priest performed a shorter service and then cemetery staff placed the coffin into the hole, filled it with dirt, and then replaced the marble cover. Guests covered the "tomb" with flowers they had brought and then we moved through a receiving line of the immediate family. After that, people slowly drifted away. I don't know if there was any kind of gathering following the burial.

All the grave sites were heavily decorated with ornate flower arrangements, most of which were fresh. Endless rows of side-by-side miniature tombs covered with flowers and candles and it always looks like this; Polish families are very attentive to deceased relatives.
There are always flower shops and open stalls outside the entrances of cemeteries that provide the typical arrangements.