Apparently people are not dying to get into this profession.
According to a June 4 UPI story, “Dozens of gravediggers gathered in Hungary for the nation’s first ever national grave-digging competition to promote the occupation. Participants competed in 18 two-person teams to dig graves 2 feet and 7 inches wide, 6 feet and 6 inches long and 5 feet and 3 inches deep, using tools such as shovels, rakes, axes and pickaxes.
“Each set of contestants were judged not only on how quickly they were able to dig their graves, but also on the style of the mounds surrounding the completed graves. Contestants were also allowed to choose how they went about digging the graves, with some opting to dig at the same time, while others had one member dig as the other piled dirt along the gravesite.”
Organizers said that the event was designed to draw young people “to the profession of grave-digging” since it is increasingly difficult to replace those who retire.
The winning team finished their work in just over 30 minutes and earned the chance to participate in a regional contest in Slovakia later this year.