Parisians Participate in a Unique Lottery for Future Burial
Residents of Paris are engaging in a distinctive lottery that offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity related to death, a topic less taboo in Europe than in America. Parisians openly discuss their funerals and take proactive steps to ensure their final wishes are respected.
A Morbid but Meaningful Prize
The city of Paris recently introduced a lottery open to all locals. Unlike typical lotteries awarding money, this one offers a prize claimable only after death. Winners gain the chance to be buried in some of France’s most renowned cemeteries.
Lottery Details and Cemetery Restoration
The initiative aims to restore dilapidated tombs at Père-Lachaise Cemetery while allowing winners to secure a highly sought-after burial spot. Recipients will have the right to purchase and renovate one of 30 tombs across three cemeteries. The city hall will lease the related burial plots to those who qualify.
Significance of Location
The most appealing aspect is the opportunity to be laid to rest near illustrious figures such as Jim Morrison, Oscar Wilde, and the French singer Édith Piaf.
According to CNN, “The plan aims to restore tombs in need of repair at Père-Lachaise, while also giving Parisians the opportunity to secure a sought-after plot at the cemetery.”
Such an initiative reflects a cultural openness about death and a desire to preserve historical heritage in one of Paris’s most famous cemeteries.
Summary: Paris’s new lottery offers residents a rare chance to secure and restore burial plots next to iconic figures, blending respect for tradition with a pragmatic approach to funerary wishes.