Dia de los Muertos/All Saints Day

Happy November and All Saint's Day. Today is Dia de los Muertos aka the Day of the Dead and in warmer climates people will be setting out feasts at the graveyards and celebrating the lives of those who have passed ahead of us. It's too cold up here to do much of the outdoor thing, so those celebrating Dia de los Muertos up here will likely do it indoors. At least, if I was setting out my sugar skulls, candy, feasts and candles, that's where I would be setting them up. 

Today we celebrate All Saints Day and Dia de los Muertos. Which
celebration will you add to your day? The saints? The celebration of
those who have passed? Maybe you'll celebrate both! 

It's a day for reflection and giving thanks to those who have already passed. It's one of the certainties of life - you are born to die. It's going to happen. It's never expected, it's always a surprise, and we don't throw the door open requesting Death to appear and take us away; at least most of us don't do that. Most of us cling to our lives here with tenacity, unwilling to let go. That's understandable - the other side of that divide is unknown territory and that's frightening. 

Highly decorated sugar skulls are one of the
more colorful ways to celebrate the dead.
Painting them while remembering those
loved ones no longer next to us can be
a soothing balm on the pain of separation. 

Death of loved ones affects those left behind, though, and that's what Dia de los Muertos is all about. Through the celebration of those who have left us, they are once more close to us and that celebration also helps us heal and close the door on the pain of loss. Time dulls the pain, but it's always there in the background. Today is a day to bring the dead up-to-date with what has happened in our lives. We show them the new babies in the family, report on how well school is going or whether goals have been achieved or not. The Veil between the living and the dead is thin for the next 48 hours. If you want to speak to your dead, it's a good time to do that. 

When decorating your sugar skull, add images
and motifs that would have meaning to those
who have walked ahead of you. Celebrate
their lives and thank them for the gift of
having shared their lives with you. 

I've chosen several sugar skulls to decorate my blog today. Let their bright visage offer comfort to you on this cold November day. My list of errands is long for my day off, so I'll cut this short right here and I'll be back tomorrow. Happy Wednesday.