1 Nov 2012

Happy Dia de los Muertos.

I know I have bombarded you all for the last week with the excitement of Halloween and I promise I am so, so nearly done!  It is just that this time of the year is the most exciting for the depth and detail of tradition.  I get a little fixated to be honest.  But whilst I revel in all the macabre traditions of Halloween, creating the grotesque, carving pumpkins to scare away the evil spirits and appreciating the otherwise under appreciated animals (bats, spiders, creepy crawlies), I also love the more elegant side of this time of year.  Dia de los Muertos (day of the dead) is beautiful; celebrating the dead without focusing on the sadness associated.
It is filled with such creativity; people create banquets and decorate huge ornate skulls or they write light poems about the lives of the dead, they dance and paint their faces, they decorate their streets and houses and they celebrate the family, both present and absent.  I especially love the tradition of taking the individuals favourite foods and drinks to their grave to eat with them.

It is so healthy to remember sometimes.  So whilst I may not be able to leave a giant cheese and pickle sandwich with a mug of half-and-half tea (the magic mix of PG tips and Earl Grey if you are interested) with my father today, I am enjoying the thought.
FR0002
Now, go decorate your house and celebrate those you miss the most.

Some suggestions of where to start: simply add some colour here or appreciate some truly creative efforts here, try and recreate a classic here or add to your household altar here.

1 comment:

  1. What a lovely post :) So thoughtful and nice. I had kind of forgotten about this side of things.

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