SAINT LOUIS, MO (October 29, 2020) – If you’ve ever been to New Orleans, you know it’s a unique and exciting place to visit. The amazing culinary history and cultural celebrations like Mardi Gras throughout the year make it a must-visit destination. Show
And with Halloween approaching, another unique thing about The Big Easy is worth noting: Have you ever noticed the curious ways the dead are treated in NOLA? Let’s start with the funeral processions. They aren’t like normal funerals, steeped in somber expressions of sadness that are common nearly everywhere else in the world. Instead, these are celebrations of life that often include parades for the passed with music, fanfare and of course, food. But it doesn’t end there. Because New Orleans sits so far below sea level, they “bury” the dead above ground in mausoleums and columbariums. Just rows and rows of very large concrete blocks. While traditional cemeteries require burials of six feet below ground, in New Orleans that’s impossible because the city is too close to the water table. A traditional grave would have bodies floating all around town — not fun, word has it.  Surface vaults are an adaptation of the typical entombment, in which three-fourths of the vault are underground, with the lid of the casket above ground. However with recent severe weather events and more aggressive flooding, surface vaults have become a thing of the past because of the potential to have floating caskets each time a heavy rain comes to the area. A few years back, a large area around Calcasieu Parish experienced this situation when a heavy rain caused these tombs to float far from their final resting place. During the difficult time, people had to rebury their loved ones and decide on a better plan for the future. Ever since, mortuaries began encouraging the above-ground entombment to people for the loved ones who have passed. The two most common types of above-ground burial are mausoleums and columbariums. A mausoleum is a stone building designed to house caskets in individual tombs. A columbarium houses urns of cremated remains. Regardless of the style of cemetery, it is clear we all respect our family that has come before us, and we celebrate the lives of those that brought us here. By remembering the past, and celebrating it, we can focus on the hope of the future. CSWR is working to keep your families safe, to celebrate, remember and build for the future, by investing in water, a part of all of our lives. With row after row of above-ground tombs, New Orleans cemeteries are often referred to as “Cities of the Dead." Enter the cemetery gates, and you will be greeted by rusty decorative ironwork and blinded by sun-bleached tombs. Crosses and statues jutting from tomb surfaces cast contrasting shadows, adding to the sense of mystery. Votive candles line tombs on holidays, reminding you that the dead have living relatives who still care. Why Above-Ground Tombs?New Orleans has always respected its dead, but this isn't the reason that our departed loved ones are interred above ground. Early settlers in the area struggled with different methods to bury the dead. Burial plots are shallow in New Orleans because the water table is very high. Dig a few feet down, and the grave becomes soggy, filling with water. The casket will literally float. You just can't keep a good person down! The early settlers tried placing stones in and on top of coffins to weigh them down and keep them underground. Unfortunately, after a rainstorm, the rising water table would literally pop the airtight coffins out of the ground. To this day, unpredictable flooding still lifts the occasional coffin out of the ground in areas above the water table, generally considered safe from flooding. Another method was to bore holes in the coffins. This method also proved to be unsuitable. Eventually, New Orleans' graves were kept above ground, following the Spanish custom of using vaults. The walls of some cemeteries here are made of economical vaults stacked on top of one another, while wealthier families could afford the larger, ornate tombs with crypts. Many family tombs look like miniature houses, complete with iron fences. The rows of tombs resemble streets. This is why New Orleans burial plots quickly became known as Cities of the Dead. Here is a question for you: how can you bury more than one family member in each vault? How can a tomb hold all of those coffins? According to a local ordinance, as long as the previously deceased family member has been dead for at least two years, the remains of that person can be moved to a specially-made burial bag and placed at the side or back of the vault. The coffin is then destroyed, and the vault is now ready for a newly deceased family member. What happens if a family member dies within that two-year period? Generally, local cemeteries are equipped with temporary holding vaults, and the newly deceased family member is moved into his or her final resting place when two years have elapsed. History: Above-Ground Tombs in New Orleans The Old and the Not So NewOn your way into New Orleans from the airport, you'll catch a glimpse of the newer Metairie cemeteries. The city's older, more dilapidated cemeteries are St. Louis Numbers 1, 2, and 3, located near the French Quarter. The older cemeteries' paths are twisted; crumbled corners of tombs jut out, and dead ends add to an eerie atmosphere. Pirates, politicians (notice how those two go together?), and voodoo queens are buried in these cities. Explorers should take caution though. While the “Cities of the Dead" are alluring, they can be dangerous. Don't go alone, but travel with a group or with one of the tour companies here. Cemetery Tours
Top 10 Must-See Cemeteries in New OrleansThere are 42 cemeteries in the New Orleans area, all with fascinating tales to tell. Learn about 10 of the city's most famous cemeteries below. Again, for your own safety, go with a group or with a tour. Why cant New Orleans bury dead above ground?Being surrounded by all these bodies of water lead the city to have a high-water table. The dangers of trying to bury someone in an area with a high-water table could lead to flooding of the graves or the coffin even being displaced.
Do you have to be buried above ground in New Orleans?Even today in Metairie Cemetery, which is on high ground (by New Orleans standards), 90% of burials are above ground. However, in the Jewish section of Metairie Cemetery, most burials are ground burials, in keeping with cultural traditions.
Why do they bury people on top of the ground in Louisiana?In South Louisiana, especially in the New Orleans area, above-ground tombs became more of the norm because the water table was exceptionally high and that burials in relatively deep graves would result in flooding and the deterioration of the casket and remains.
Why do caskets float in New Orleans?The burial plots in the cemeteries at the time were shallow due to the high water table. Gravediggers would dig only a few feet down, before the grave would become soggy and begin to fill up with water. Coffins were ultimately floating on water as they were laid to rest.
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Why are new orleans cemeteries above ground
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