You're reading: Moldovan mayor bans barbecues in cemeteries

CHISINAU, Moldova — A Moldovan mayor says he is banning barbecues and merrymaking in the capital's cemeteries after reports that the country's day of reflection had turned into a day of debauchery.

Dorin Chirtoaca, the mayor of Chisinau, said on April 25 that after laying flowers and quiet reflection in the cemeteries in memory of the departed in the week following Orthodox Easter, thousands then used the solemn occasion to cook meat on makeshift grills.

Moldovans traditionally flock to cemeteries on feast days to pay their respects to the dead.

Chirtoaca said "a lot of people were drunk when they left the cemetery," adding that authorities had to clear 60 tons of garbage from the capital’s St. Lazar cemetery following the parties.