Christmas is a time for celebrating with loved ones, even those no longer with us. There is a growing tradition in Auckland to decorate cemetery plots for the festive season, and to make special Christmas visits to include them in family celebrations.

“Families want to acknowledge and include their departed loved ones at this time of year and our cemeteries can be some of the best-lit parts of town,” says Auckland Council Cemeteries Manager, Catherine Moore.

“We want families to visit their loved ones and decorate their plots, and we’re providing a few simple guidelines that will ensure those decorations will be able to stay in place over the holidays without disturbing others.”

Ms Moore says cemetery staff help with the post-Christmas cleanup and provide extra bins in early January.

“People who want to keep decorations need to collect them before 11 January, after which we will clean up any leftover items,” she says.

Top tips for decorating cemetery plots:

• Wreaths, flowers and Christmas adornments may be left on top of the grave, headstone or on the concrete beam. However, if they spill over into the surrounding area, they will need to be removed by cemetery staff to allow for lawn care and to allow others to access adjoining plots.
• You can’t build extra above-ground memorials, railing or fencing on or around the plot.
• By all means put up solar-powered Christmas decorations and lights; they make the cemetery look festive and provide comfort for visitors. However, make sure you keep to your own loved one’s plot and go no further. Our cemeteries are open to people of all denominations and beliefs, many of which do not celebrate Christmas.
• Breakable jars, vases or receptacles can’t be used in cemeteries due to the risk of damage.
• Gate closing hours will be extended to 10.00pm leading up to, and including, Christmas Day at Manukau Memorial Gardens, Waikumete Cemetery and North Shore Memorial Park.
• The council will provide extra bins for clean-up of adornments during the week 5 – 11 January. If you would like to take your decorations home, please do so before 11 January.
• After 11 January, council staff will clean up any remaining decorations. These will be destroyed, so if you have left decorations that you want to keep, you must collect them before 11 January.

Auckland Council manages 53 public cemeteries across the Auckland region, from Wellsford in the north to Waiuku in the south, and on our gulf islands.