Timely Cemetery Re-Visit

Images from Edgewood Cemetery, Nashua, NH

Today isn't just the final day of my favorite month, October, it's also Halloween (or Hallowe'en). Like many others, our younger family members will be joining in the popular activity of trick-or-treating (hopefully, we'll get to see costume photos). Folks a bit older might celebrate with costume parties, lighting bonfires, visiting haunted spots (like cemeteries), telling ghost stories, and watching scary or horror-themed films. 

Edgewood Cemetery, Nashua, NH

As well as it being a popular day for costumes and treats, today is the eve of the Christian feast of All Hallows' Day, November 1, also as All Saints' Day, the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, and Hallowmas. The first day of November remembers the saints of the church, known or unknown. Some observe this Christian observance by attending church services and/or placing candles on the graves of the dead.

This past weekend, I re-visited what has become one of my favorite places at this time of year. There's nothing more seasonally colorful than a cemetery in late autumn and especially in New England. Here in Nashua, NH, Edgewood Cemetery is one of those scenic places within walking distance of the mill apts. It's become a favorite walk (not haunt) every foliage time when I return and post about that my October re-visit. 

Death is sadly inevitable, yet this special time of year shows that the beauty of nature is glorious even in a place of sadness. The following images show some of that beauty. 

Many of the trees in Edgewood are as old or older than the headstones.

The cemetery covers 33 acres with some headstones dating to the 1800s. Reading some of the oldest ones revealed many young deaths from infants to young adults.

Edgewood is one of 11 cemeteries in Nashua, NH, serving a population of just under 90,000 people in a city that covers 31 square miles. According to an online county source, this equals 1 cemetery per 2 square miles for about 7,970 people.

On a warm and sunny mid-morning, my thoughts were of the beautiful displays of autumn colors that surrounded me; also silent prayers for those interred in such a beautiful setting.

Within a couple of weeks, most of these colorful leaf displays will be on the ground below. Quite possibly on my next annual visit, some of these stately trees will be be gone too. Already, there were many that had been trimmed extensively; stumps were all that remained for some.

Despite a few online searches, I didn't find any instances of hauntings within Edgewood; but, this doesn't mean they haven't been any; there's many old graves within and likely tales. 

It's quite a different story for another small and very old Nashua burial grounds. 

Online source

Located about 5 miles from downtown Nashua on Gilson Road, the very small Gilson Cemetery has a handful of headstones dating from the 1700s. It has gained notoriety as being haunted with more reports of paranormal activity than at any other NH cemetery. Sightings have included glowing lights, a woman wearing a white dress, a baby, wandering, screaming sounds, and fog that rolls in from nowhere.

Full disclosure is that I have not visited Gilson Cemetery, yet.

But since this is the day of ghosts and spirits, here's the story from online sources. According to legend, a stone wall surrounding the cemetery once enclosed a farmhouse that burned killing those inside and who were buried near the remains of the house. A second house, built on the same location, burned as well, also killing those inside. Afterwards, people avoided the area and the two burial sites formed what became the cemetery.

Today being Halloween, here's a display courtesy of my mill apt friend, Laura, who very definitely does the day up BIG. Her other holiday displays are just as overwhelming.

My friend, Laura, decorated her apt entry

Hope your day is haunting-free, no matter how it's spent. We're at home and will re-watch these classic, non-scary films, Beetlejuice (1988) and The Addams Family (1991). It was a choice between these and Ghostbusters (1984) and that viewing comes later this week.

Our favorite Halloween films

Happy 🎃 Halloween to All👻🦇