Competitors test grave-digging skills at Hungarian cemetery contest

A grave-digging contest at a public cemetery in Nyergesújfalu, northern Hungary, brought 38 competitors armed with picks and shovels on Saturday.

The Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators organizes the event to showcase the grave-digging trade and its skills, while challenging taboos surrounding death. Dry soil hardened by the summer made for a difficult test for the 19 two-person teams, who raced to dig the fastest and most stylish grave.

Róbert Nagy, who won with teammate László Kiss, said speed was the main consideration in the contest, rather than appearance. He added that when digging a grave for a funeral, workers must carefully meet the exact dimensions and ensure it is neatly carved.

The pair won with a time of one hour and 21 minutes. Contest specifications required graves to be 1.6 metres, or 5 1/2 feet, deep; two metres, or 6 1/2 feet, long; and 0.8 metres, or 2.6 feet, wide. They shared a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints, about US$640.