El Dia de las Muertos

Just in case you're burned out on Halloween (I don't see HOW, but every one's different), I thought I'd fill you in on a different festival that occurs during the same time period. El Dia de las Muertos (The Day of the Dead) is a festival that Mexican Catholics celebrate from Oct. 31st- Nov. 2nd. For those of you who belong to Christian religions that observe the Christian Calendar, these holy days are known as All Souls Day and All Saints Day. In case your church doesn't observe these celebrations, All Souls and All Saints are days in which the Church remembers the faithful who have died during the last year. Special prayers are read and candles are lit in their memory. This has always been one of my favorite Sundays at church, but a few years ago a Mexican friend introduced me to her family's traditions.

For the Day of the Dead, families designate an area of the home that serves as an altar of sorts. They gather up photos of family members who have died, not just in the last year, but any time. They keep candles lighted around the photos and also place the deceased person's favorite food/s/ or drink/s/ with their pictures. Family members bring favorite jewelry or toys or books or instruments and place them also. The idea is that on these days, their family members return to earth to "visit" their families. They try and have everything ready on the "altar" so that their loved ones will have whatever they need to make the most of their time here. If you have ever traveled to Mexico or visited Southwestern cities, you may have noticed all of the figurines depicting skeletons doing different daily activities. These are the symbols of El Dia de las Muertos. They remind people that death is not to be feared and that no one should take for granted the time they have on the earth for living.

Since being introduced, I have started my own version of The Day of the Dead. I think that there is something really beautiful about remembering your loved ones that are no longer with you. You can take your children to Grandfather's grave all day long, but having them set out Sweet Tea and BLTs and chocolate chip cookies gives a sense of real connection to a person, even if they never met them (besides, we eat all the food and it's yummy!). And, it's comforting to think that long after you're gone, somewhere your family may be setting out your favorite things, laughing and telling your great- grandchildren funny stories about you. If this sounds a little too pagan for you, go ahead and research it. I assure you, it's a Christian festival. Technically, so is Halloween (All Hallows Eve, the feast BEFORE All Souls Day), although you'd never know it here in the South. You'd think Satan himself was running up and down the streets of Jackson trying to grab little children to hear some people tell it. But, I digress.

So, if you're looking for something new and different to do this time of year, look up The Day of the Dead. Even if you don't want to incorporate the religious elements of the festival, it's a nice way to just remember deceased family members. Besides, you can give the neighbors something to talk about!