Tuesday 1 November 2011

Day of the Dead or El Dia de los Muertos

I took this photo at the hacienda I was staying at in Mexico a few years ago. It was taken on November 1st, the Day of the Dead. There were marigolds everywhere! It is their biggest celebration of the year and the Mexicans know how to celebrate. This celebration is a time to remember and honour deceased relatives and to acknowledge and celebrate the cycle of life. The altar had photos of relatives and gifts for them. Gifts like cigars if they liked to smoke or candies and chocolates. There lots of skulls and skeletons made of chocolate and a special bread was made for the occasion. That evening we had skits about the relatives and stories of what they used to do. It was a really fun, joyful, and also sacred evening. We stayed up all night. One I won't forget it was so unique. My father had passed away only a few weeks before and the evening was especially full for me. I thought wonderful, happy thoughts about my dad and how he would have laughed at all this. It was so different from the sadness I thought I was supposed to feel. It was such an embrace of life moving on to another form.

So, today, remember with love and joy your loved ones that have passed from this realm.

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