Competitors dig deep in Hungarian grave-digging contest

NYERGESUJFALU, Hungary (AP) — Like death itself, this was no joke.

A grave-digging contest in a Hungarian cemetery may sound like the opening line of a comedy sketch. It proved to be anything but as 38 competitors grabbed picks and shovels on Saturday.

The Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators organizes the contest to showcase the grave-digging trade and its skills, and shake off death-related taboos.

The dry summer-baked soil in the public cemetery in Nyergesújfalu, northern Hungary, proved a worthy adversary for the 19 two-man teams. They huffed and puffed and sweated as they raced for the title of quickest-dug and most stylish grave.

“Speed is the main thing here, not the beauty,” said Róbert Nagy, the victor with his teammate László Kiss.

“When you have to dig a grave for a funeral, you have to be very careful about the exact dimensions and to make sure that it is beautifully carved.”

Their winning time was 1 hour, 21 minutes, digging to contest specifications of graves 1.6 meters (5 1/2 feet) deep, 2 meters (6 1/2 feet) long and 0.8 meters (2.6 feet) wide.

They shared a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints (about $640).