Thirty-eight competitors gathered in a public cemetery in Nyergesújfalu, Hungary, on Saturday to participate in a grave-digging contest.
The event, organized by the Hungarian Association of Cemetery Maintainers and Operators, aimed to showcase the skills involved in the trade and to challenge societal taboos surrounding death.
Contestants, forming 19 two-man teams, battled the dry, summer-baked soil as they vied for the title of quickest and most stylish grave digger. The competition emphasized speed, though maintaining the precise dimensions and appearance of a grave was also a factor.
Robért Nagy and his teammate László Kiss emerged as the victors, completing their grave in 1 hour and 21 minutes. The contest specifications required graves to be 1.6 meters (5½ feet) deep, 2 meters (6½ feet) long, and 0.8 meters (2.6 feet) wide.
The winning team received a cash prize of 200,000 Hungarian forints, equivalent to approximately $640.