In France, you can marry a dead person

The possibility to marry a deceased person is provided for by Article 171 of the French Civil Code. The reasons behind it are sentimental and historical. It all started with war widows marrying heroes fallen a short time before during WWI.

Amazing and weird fact about France.

In France, you can marry a dead person

The marriage can only take place if it is extremely certain that the deceased wished to marry the surviving person. For example, if they published Banns before death. It is subject to the approval of the French President, on recommendation by the State Prosecutor.

To avoid any financial interests, the usual rules of inheritance do not apply: the surviving spouse does not inherit anything, nor is matrimonial property deemed to have existed. This means that most reasons are purely sentimental.

Non-sentimental reasons include:

• legitimating children born after the death of the father (who would otherwise be considered born out of wedlock);
• the right to a pension as a widow/er, which does arise after such a marriage;
• the wish to protect one’s dignity by gaining the status of widow/er, and the corresponding ban on marrying relatives of the deceased, and the respect / consideration which comes from society for being so faithful to a loved one.

There is also, if you wish, a “supernatural” aspect to it. The reply to the usual question is “I did”, instead of “I do”, and the “till death do us part” expression is not used, it being considered that through this marriage death itself is conquered.