Your ancestors are waiting

It’s now November. Even as I write that I feel as if I am writing for this to be the distant future, but no... tis not. I know that on Monday it was Halloween, the start of Samhain, and the day before Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead), All Saint’s Day (All Hallow’s day) and a new start to a new month.

As a child I always loved all holidays, even one’s that, per-sae, where of other cultures than my own. I find that learning all about the different cultures in the world gives you more opportunity to fill your life with the wonders of the world. I guess that might it just be the actor in me, but in a way, I try to imagine myself completely in the world as an individual of another culture. To see through different eyes, to fully understand. I do understand though that I will never be able to truly fully know, but I will research and conduct social experiments (more or less people watch) to immerse myself in other cultures.

Since young Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, was a fascinating holiday that I wanted to know more about. All of the colorful tissue paper flowers and marigolds (en espanol: cempasúchil), the alters (ofrenda), sugar skulls (calaveras), pictures of loved ones who have departed from this earthly realm, the sweets, loved one’s favorite foods and trinkets, candles, incense and water. But that is just what someone would see passing by. There is so much more to know about this sacred holiday.

In the Mexican culture, Dia de los Muertos, is a two day celebration of family members, deceased and living, reuniting. The holiday is sacred and rare, in the way that we are to celebrate, instead of mourn. The veil between the world of the living and dead is at it’s thinnest point and thus our ancestors can come back to party and rejoice for a night.

November 1st is the first day of the celebrations and continues into November 2nd until midnight. The first day is said to be for all of the children that have passed on as angelitos and the second is the day for the adults (difuntos) to party with the living.

Family members not only make ofrendas that are filled with the items listed above to honor their ancestors, but they decorate the many graves and cemeteries as they were lands of flowers and candles. If only I had the elegant words to paint you a picture of the sensational displays of honour for the dead, I would. If interested I would recommend searching online or talking with someone who knows more about the culture.

If you were to look more into this piece of Mexican culture you might see many dressed up with skeletons (calacas) and have skulls (calaveras) painted on their faces. Some confuse this holiday with Halloween because of the symbolic sugar skulls that are used; however, they are not related at all. In reality what you are looking at is a homage to La Catrina. La Catrina is a depiction of Mexico’s Lady of Death. She was first constructed in the early 1900’s by the artist José Guadalupe Posada. It is said that José was a cartoonist that was controversial and political in his time and was known for drawing skeletons (calacas) in his cartoons to remind people that “they will all be dead in the end”.

So for the time that you have here on Earth rejoice, celebrate and love. Everyone will depart from this world but just know that you will have time to come back through to have coffee and your favorite foods with loved ones on these days. Whether you are from a Mexican background or not, time allows us to honour and celebrate our ancestors, so why not?

“To all the loved ones who are no longer with us today, we want you to know that we will love you and forever carry you in the most precious chamber of our hearts until we too are covered by earth.” -unknown

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