More Fun Facts

In a seeming homage to the Tim Burton classic animated film, citizens of Tanza-Timawa Zone II in the province of Iloilo took up the effort of adorning their local cemetery with Christmas-themed ornaments in order to celebrate the yuletide season.

Cheerful Christmas trees adorned with bright and colorful trimmings along with festive parols, improvised belens and twinkling Christmas lights stood side by side along gray tombstones and somber graves.

Initially, the décor was very limited and was intended to be used by the Tanza Cemetery Workers Association for their group’s Christmas party. However, a suggestion to make the activity livelier resulted in the implementation of a decoration contest among staff members.

The cemetery spans an entire block in the city and caters mostly to local indigents but also includes relative of prominent families and Japanese soldiers who perished during World War II.

The feedback from family members of those buried have seemingly welcomed the development. In fact, most people who visit their loved ones’ graves tend not to stay late at night because of the remoteness of the area, but with the decors and lighting installed, many continued to stay until midnight.
Although that was only the first time that they adorned their beloved cemetery, the cemetery’s caretakers has since pledged to make the event a yearly activity in order to encourage the public to visit the cemetery.