Fewer burials, more cremations, and an increasing demand to be buried among the trees. Figures from the Luxembourg City Cemetery Service confirm that funeral rites are changing in Luxembourg.

The evolution of burial customs is evident in cemeteries, that are particularly busy around All Saints' Day. "Traditions have changed a lot over the last two decades," says Mayor of Luxembourg City Lydie Polfer.

And since the municipality keeps detailed records on funerals, the mayor has figures to back this up. In the year 2000, "77% of people were buried in a coffin in the traditional way. In 2021, this was the case for 55% of people," Polfer says.

An increasing number of people opt for cremation instead of the traditional burial. According to the mayor, "the trend in Luxembourg is certainly headed towards a 50-50 split." Specifically, the Cemetery Service carried out 461 burials and 137 cremations in 2000, compared to 257 cremations and "only" 316 burials in 2021.

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© Domingos Oliveira / RTL

In this context, Polfer stresses that the capital "still has enough space in all of its cemeteries."

Nearly 40 hectares of land in Luxembourg City are devoted to the deceased of all faiths. The majority of this land (27 hectares) is divided into 13 municipal cemeteries distributed throughout the neighbourhoods and overseen by the Cemeteries Department. Cessange, in the capital's far south-west, is home to the capital's sole woodland cemetery, which spans 12.5 hectares.

An interactive map shows all the cemeteries in the capital.

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In fact, more and more people want their ashes to be scattered at the foot of an oak tree in the woodland cemetery near Cessange.

When it first opened in 2014, five people were buried there. In 2020, 38 persons were laid to rest here, and 24 in 2021. The first of four plots of 21 trees is filled. Each tree can accommodate a maximum of 10 graves.

"We still have room, but we need to think about expanding it," Polfer says. Discussions are already underway.