How can one remove the stigma from a haunting place like a cemetery? One way is to emulate Talk Death’s approach and transform it into a playground of sorts.
Throughout the Halloween season, Talk Death, a group established by two residents of Hamilton, has been hosting scavenger hunts in cemeteries across Canada and the United States. Their goal is to make these locations less intimidating.
This year, as in previous ones, approximately 1,000 individuals from both countries visited local cemeteries to search for clues and compete for prizes, according to organizers.
Jeremy Cohen, co-founder of Talk Death and a religion anthropologist and assistant professor at McMaster University’s Department of Religious Studies, expressed that cemeteries were initially communal spaces intended for leisurely activities such as picnics near gravesites.
What started in 2020 as a small, impromptu Halloween activity conducive to families and COVID safety protocols has now become an annual event for the Hamilton-based organization. They collaborate with numerous cemeteries in various regions, allowing participation from individuals worldwide.
Mandy Benoualid, co-founder of Talk Death alongside Cohen, mentioned that people from Europe even participate in the scavenger hunts conducted in the dead of night, provided the cemetery is sufficiently large and historical.
Pat Gallagher, a volunteer historical interpreter, emphasized the importance of exploring sites like the Hamilton Cemetery to safeguard the tales entombed within. Gallagher, who offers free historical tours like Cemetery Chronicles, believes that failing to discuss these stories could lead to their disappearance.
One notable figure interred at the Hamilton Cemetery is John Charles Fields, the founder of the Fields Medal, often equated to the Nobel Prize in mathematics.
Gallagher highlighted the significance of the dash symbol on headstones, representing the lives lived between the birth and death dates, underscoring the essence of these narratives.
In a sunny fall afternoon, a group of over a dozen individuals gathered at the cemetery entrance, awaiting clues for the scavenger hunt. Adrienne Turner and Jen Power, first-time participants, expressed how such events facilitate open conversations about mortality, emphasizing that death is an inevitable part of life.
The scavenger hunt featured 23 clues, including identifying a headstone with a quote, a foreign flag, or real moss on a gravestone. Participants had to locate these items, take selfies as proof, and submit their findings to Talk Death.
Prizes were awarded to the first person to submit 13 correct clues, as well as to the runner-up, the individual with the most submissions within 45 minutes, and those with the most creative entries. Attendees could also purchase Talk Death merchandise, with proceeds supporting the Black Cemetery Network’s efforts to safeguard African-American burial grounds.
Cohen noted that the Western fear of death contrasted with practices like Dia de los Muertos, a Mexican celebration honoring the deceased, which inspired their approach to events like the scavenger hunt. He emphasized drawing inspiration from cultures that embrace death in a more open manner and appreciate such spaces and experiences.