Are these a thing only in BG or you guys do this too?
Posted by canyoubelieveitt@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 104 comments
When someone dies they are put up where the person lived, on the entrance door etc. They also get changed for different times since the time of death, e.g. 40 days, 1 year etc
Pretty_Addition_8129@reddit
It gets worse, I’ve seen some that go “25 years without our loved one”. I’m sorry for your loss, but I think it’s time to look for grief counseling instead of committing to a new print every year and then plastering it all over town.
SamiTheAnxiousBean@reddit
Yes, it's called an "Umrlica", essentially a death notice
over here it's also posted in public places like a board in the town centre
over here they look like this
kostasnotkolsas@reddit
Forgot the blue for Catholics, Black for orthodox and red for Communists
Zyuganovs_Top_Guy@reddit
Can I see some of the red ones? Tried googling, didn’t find anything
aliendeom@reddit
For Catholics it's blue for young unmarried people and black for married and older people
NoSync22@reddit
I’ve seen the death announcements in a lot of places, but I have witnessed the 40 days / 1 year / 5 years etc only in Bulgaria. In some smaller towns it’s actually a bit creepy, as they pile up (as they stay for such a long time) and it looks like everybody is dead.
Kurvaflowers69420@reddit
yea, because no one fking removes them. You can see ones for ...3 years which have lost their color, torn in few places and then you notice that the date is from 26 years ago.
milic_srb@reddit
idk there's a ton of them in Serbia too
alecpu@reddit
in smaller balkan towns everyone is practically dead
thrashboi@reddit
Ive seen those in Romania and Greece/Cyprus
chavdarster@reddit
That's common sample of obituary note in Bulgaria.
RhaenyraTheCruel@reddit
I'm from Ohrid 🇲🇰 and yes they're around everywhere. But I live in Skopje and these are not present. Interesting isn't it?
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
I could provide an answer to that but I dont want to start a flame war here.
whoisdanielaa@reddit
Не можете да ги оставите братята македонци..
RhaenyraTheCruel@reddit
Just why? Like, this doesn't need to turn into bullshit conversation just because I'm from 🇲🇰. Get a grip. It was a simple question you asked and I provided an answer. It's not that deep.
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
That's why I didnt answer your question.
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
They themselves don't know it's al funny
Gatomon65@reddit
In Macedonia, we also post a photo of the deceased, stick it on the door where the deceased lived, and in the neighborhood. Now we have started to post on Facebook when someone close to us passes away.
Strict-Morning-133@reddit
Yep, this is how old people update their phone books. Just see the thing, go home and scratch another name with a pen…
papioriental1@reddit
Damn, morbid
Historical_Mad1917@reddit
We do it in Poland too - we call it nekrolog.
mermaidworker@reddit
In my hometown in Romania. They only put stuff like that right after the person dies. They mention the place and time of the funeral as well. But not everyone does it.
CryptoBaron0@reddit
It's a thing in Czechia as well. In smaller cities or villages, it's sometimes put up somewhere on the main square so other people can get informed as well, not just the neighbours.
lumpofclayclay@reddit
How do you call it? In Poland it is called "Klepsydra" and we do have them even in large cities.
Neat_Culture_5159@reddit
Klepsydra is a Greek word meaning hourglass κλεψύδρα
lumpofclayclay@reddit
Yup, it symbolizes time running out.
NightZT@reddit
Exactly the same in Austria
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
Are you Czech person or from Balkan ?
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
Czechia in Balkan would be like Greenland in Africa
Suitable-File-7672@reddit
The English word for it is obituary.
gushi1-@reddit
See it In Albania and Montenegro.
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
We have them in Serbia. We just also attach the photo with it. 😂😭
determine96@reddit
We call it "nekrolog"
Don't know the world "nekro" where it comes from, probably Greek "nekros" or something..
Stealthfighter21@reddit
Logos is word
Dark_Lord-s_Sword@reddit
Isn't 'logos' 'science'?
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
That would be a name for a more “formal” act, I guess. Like a little piece in newspaper that is dedicated to the deceased, or speech..
NightZT@reddit
Do people also collect them? In Austria this is pretty common, it's like pokemon cards for old people. Also if someone dies form your family, you hand those out in your neighborhood and forget someone be sure they will never talk with you again and be pissed until eternity
noisy_turquoise@reddit
No, collecting them would be seen as highly disrespectful
NightZT@reddit
Not in a sense of removing them from public display, that would also be highly disrespectful. But here the relatives of the deceased bring them to you in person and you're obliged keep them safe.
True-Blacksmith4235@reddit
We do not… collect them.
My grandma called them old people’s facebook tho.
fatstackinbenj@reddit
I intended to make a few copies of this with different pictures of Ricardo Millos back in 2020 and stick them around as a joke
WerdinDruid@reddit
It's called "Parte" aka smuteční oznámení.
sarcasticgreek@reddit
Sure, we put up those fliers not only outside the house, but also around the neighborhood for the funeral, the 40 day memorial and the 1 year memorial.
MixPsychological4728@reddit
Yep. In Bulgaria we do it also for every year memorial.
Practical-Pickle5135@reddit
I think we in Greece do not write where the person lived.At least in my area (Thessaloniki) we dont
sarcasticgreek@reddit
Oh, sure. No. I didn't notice it had an address on the bulgarian one. Usually we just me tion where the service and the reception will take place.
Arriellia@reddit
The address is where the funeral will be held, as this is the first necrolog - the news. The later ones for 40d a year and so on don't have it.
Advanced_Main8890@reddit
I have seen those in Greece, Portugal, Italy too
Embarrassed-Air2771@reddit
We do it in Romania
CakiGM@reddit
Yes we call them smrtovnica in Serbia
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
In the Croatian community?
CakiGM@reddit
I don't know about Croatian community but Im sure they have something like that (if not the same thing) too
Melonnbreadd@reddit
Yep. They tend to stack up. Once went to a village where one electical post had become deformed from how many were stacked on top of eachother on one side. Sorta like the wood had grown a pimple lol
Electrical_Deal5408@reddit
In rural Romania, it is usual to post a notice like this, but kept very simple, at the entrance to the churchyard, listing the deceased’s name, date of birth, and date of death. This notice is removed after the person has been buried.
It was also customary to hang a black cloth on the deceased’s house, which similarly bore the deceased’s name, date of birth, and date of death. Usually, the writing was done in chalk on the cloth, and it would fade away after a few weeks. I don’t know exactly how long it stayed up, but I don't think this practice is still that common.
Here an example. Source: Google Maps, October 2024
feni01@reddit
We have them in Albania too, idk officially what they’re called but I’ve heard people call them njoftim vdekjeve or death notices. They usually put them on poles, on a bulletin board with other papers, in villages they put them in the centre of the village. Last time I was there I saw them both in the cities and in the villages and they usually have photos of the person who passed. Most of the photos seemed to be elderly people but once case I saw it was a of a young woman and even mentioned she died of a car accident which they usually never include cause of death.
YourNormaMinecrafter@reddit
Idk about the rest but in Alb we have a saying about when someone dies "I saw him/her on the pole" as in the street light pole, cause they usually put the boards where they stick the death anouncments there.
Glittery_Marshmallow@reddit
Yup, bandera.
someloser_@reddit
In Bosnia we have these, in the city where my family lives we call them “osmrtnice,” though there are different ways to call them too. They also differ by color and have a particular symbol to denote the religion of the person who died. Muslims get the color green and the Istirdža (Indeed we being to Allah, and indeed to Him we will return) in traditional calligraphy, Catholics get the color blue or black depending if they’re married and a Latin cross, and Orthodoxes get the color black and a Serbian Orthodox cross.
Svarog1984@reddit
I've seen them in Skopje, but can't remember what they are called.
Strange_Status_7690@reddit
Which country is that one ?
Own_Discussion3673@reddit
Nicaragua
The_Thighbiter@reddit
osmrtnica?
shurdi3@reddit
We call 'em некролог/nekrolog
awarddeath123@reddit
We call them smrtovnica, but yeah. I’ve usually seen them posted a day or two post-mortem, and then taken down within a month or so. By then, the deceased’s family and friends and neighbors all know where the funeral is to take place, and at what time. Then it vanishes.
The_Thighbiter@reddit
"we" ?
The_Thighbiter@reddit
Now I've seen that you even do it like for years after a person dies, I am pretty sure we only do it when a person dies, not months after or year.
Maybe I have seen a card for 40 days but I think the close family would invite those who they would like to come, in person.
loulekarios@reddit
Woot are you talking about?! s/ Love from Greece to all of you (dead or alive)
qCallisto@reddit
I've seen them in Romania too.
AdditionalPanda4935@reddit
I am from a croatian community in Romania, Banat. When someone passes away we just turn on the light outside the house, or put some lights on the widows, and turn them off atfer the funeral ceremony ends. I never seen this before.
bubushems@reddit
Interesting, may I ask where? I'm Romanian and never seen these before in RO but have seen plenty in BG (I got family ties there) so I am familiar with them.
EntropyInBelgrade@reddit
im not the one who wrote comment you replied to, but id say it's common to see these (as well as a picture of the deceased, but not always) at the entrance of most apartment buildings in mid to small towns in muntenia. as well as lit candles, although those are usually lit and left by the deceased's door. i cant speak for the rest of the country, though.
Key_Information3273@reddit
ferpar
SuedeJacketMonster@reddit
Thankfully I see these less and less. I can understand putting it on the entrance door of your residential builidng or house, but putting them on walls and trees in the whole neighbourhood is insane. No one cares but the immediate family and close friends, spare us the unsightly views. Also, there is the internet - whoever needs to know of the deceased knows.
Mysterious-Put1459@reddit
I moved out of a commie block neighborhood to a modern one and suddenly I stopped seeing obituaries, parking spaces reserved with water jugs or concrete bricks, and patchwork building facades where each apartment is painted different colour because everyone does whatever they want. Definitely recommend
Odd-Organization-740@reddit
Let me guess, you're from Sofia. Outside of Sofia we have a thing called local community. And everyone in the neighbourhood is touched when somebody dies, because people tend to know and help each other, instead of hating each other and fighting for parking.
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
Which soy drink is your favorite flavor lil bro?
SuedeJacketMonster@reddit
Imbecillic response, not surprised.
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
Written by soy powered limpwrists
Technical-Speed762@reddit
It's a photo of a person with a text, not like people are hanging body parts around the neighbourhood. May I suggest touching grass?
SuedeJacketMonster@reddit
No. It's an ugly black and white piece of paper.
Gremlin_Zidarac@reddit
Last year in Bulgaria, i even saw one for 20 years memorial. Something i never saw in Serbia
SweetUf@reddit
Same thing in Czechia and Poland too
euksen@reddit
In Turkey, the deaths of people are typically announced over municipalities' public address systems and then the call to prayer is recited in mosques.
In Bosnia, it's announced via paper notices, each religion has it's own color as far as I can tell.
JazzlikeAsk8039@reddit
Haven't seen it in Greece but have seen it in italy
VitoD24@reddit
I saw from time to time such death notices in the local newspaper as well.
True_Breakfast_3790@reddit
No idea why this was recommended to me, but here (southern Germany, catholic) it's also common in newspapers and as a hand-out at funerals
Curious_Knowledge670@reddit
Yes. We do these in Macedonia too. When my grandfather died in Late 2023, this type of paper was taped to the house's entrance and was taped on streetlight poles around the town.
Stverghame@reddit
Yes, umrlica
NoHawk668@reddit
we have those too. But not for 40 days, or one year. They used to be in newspapers before, including anniversaries, but I don't know if it is still on. There was a joke back in the old days, as "why a lot of folks start to read newspapers from the back"? "First they check what will be on TV today (TV program page), than they take a look who will not watch TV today (obituaries page before), and then they check why those people will not watch TV today (black chronicle page, news about crime and murders)"!
peasantbanana@reddit
Yes, we have those in Serbia, they are called "umrlica". We also have dedicated pages in daily newspaper with similar announcements of deaths called "čitulja".
Expert-Tip3011@reddit
in serbia we do that too, plus the face of the deceased
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
We too, didnt want to put an actual one online since its disrespectful to the dead.
SamiTheAnxiousBean@reddit
Would it be?
Sure you're talking about someone who died but you're not disrespecting them by using something related to their death to potentially teach others or yourself
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
Idk it just doesnt feel right to do
MaxSch@reddit
This is an obituary. By tradition, the first one with the announcement of the death doesn't have a photo but the ones after do.
Expert-Tip3011@reddit
ofc
Some_Random-Name01@reddit
never seen them in romania
DatThrowaway66@reddit
Same in Greece. They put them up for the funeral and then for what’s called “mnimosino” - 40 days after the funeral and then every year.
N_ikolajevna@reddit
Yes, osmrtnica in Croatia(n)
Think_Impossible@reddit
Have seen them in Serbia as well. One thing - the ones with a photo are for commemorative services, some time after death (40 days, 1 year, 3 years etc). The ones for a person that had just passed away are normally without a photo (like your example).
Altruistic-Board5322@reddit
No, in Greece the dead ones come to our dreams and invite us to their ceremony
canyoubelieveitt@reddit (OP)
This isnt a ceremony invitation only bro, its put on even years after someone dead. More like a remembrance.
Altruistic-Board5322@reddit
The real question is if you have good cake and kolyva as we do in Greece for the 40days etc , not if we have funeral-letters as we call them :P
rubenknol@reddit
they have them too in serbia, bosnia, montenegro