Send us a text! We love hearing from listeners. If you'd like a response, please include your email.
Imagine visiting a cemetery where instead of sadness, you’re greeted with joy, wit, and art. In the heart of Romania, that’s exactly what you’ll find; “The graveyard that laughs at death” otherwise known as The Merry Cemetery—where the dead are remembered with a smile. On this episode of The Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery, Jennie and Dianne pay tribute to this delightful burial ground that has attracted thousands of tourists from across the globe. You won’t find traditional gravestones here—what you’ll encounter instead are colorful wooden crosses that tell the stories of the deceased with humor, wit, and a playful spirit.
View this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xpllZx4kSiU?si=oG1pY3PaNWxpmKCV
Need an Ordinary Extraordinary Cemetery Podcast tee, hoodie or mug? Find all our taphophile-fun much here: https://oecemetery.etsy.com
Resources used to research this episode include:
Moore, John. "The Last Laugh; In the Merry Cemetery, grave markers celebrate life with beautiful images and gentle wit." https://www.romaniatourism.com/. www.romaniatourism.com/press-the-merry-cemetery.html. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Golopentia, Sanda. "The Merry Cemetery of Sapanta ." https://peterkayafas.com/. peterkayafas.com/the-merry-cemetery-of-sapanta/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
, Rolandia. "The Merry Cemetery ." https://rolandia.eu/. rolandia.eu/en/blog/unique-places/the-merry-cemetery/?srsltid=AfmBOopyD1j6Popz6vDQJxc4TQMDUN1A5PW4VSqTkWobpBVvF0tyK_il. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
, Go Eat Give. "Have a Laugh At The Merry Cemetery in Romania ." https://goeatgive.com/. goeatgive.com/have-a-laugh-at-the-merry-cemetery-in-romania/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
"MERRY CEMETERY: A DIFFERENT WAY TO LOOK AT DEATH ." https://cimitirulveselsapanta.ro/. cimitirulveselsapanta.ro/who-we-are/. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Wallace, Lorna. "The 10 Most Unique Cemeteries Around the World ." https://www.fodors.com/. 7 Apr. 2023. www.fodors.com/news/photos/weird-and-unique-cemeteries-around-the-world. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Cap-Bun, Marina . "Attitudes towards Death in Romanian Culture and Civilization ." https://www.proquest.com/. 2 Jan. 2012. www.proquest.com/docview/1446905222?sourcetype=Scholarly%20Journals. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Thuras, Dylan. "The Merry Cemetery ." https://www.atlasobscura.com/. 21 May 2013. www.atlasobscura.com/places/merry-cemetery. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com