Holidays

Halloween has lead me to consider how I want to celebrate holidays with Nori. I love the idea of establishing family traditions that not only she will remember but will cause us all to learn and grow. The past several years I have celebrated Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.) This is a Latin American tradition that blends from teh catholic holiday of All Saints Day, which is November 1, and Halloween which also somehow originated from All Saints Day as well. The Day of the Dead is a time to celebrate those that have passed. This is done in the home by making a small altar with candles, the favorite foods of those passed, photos, flowers, and whatever you want to put on it! In Guatemala it was also celebrated by partying in the cemetery! People would bring favorite foods of the dead and drinks to the graves of family. Then there would be dancing and partying for several days.
For the first time this year we made an altar in our home, namely honoring Pete and I's grandparents as well as our late cat Lily.
I also made Pan de Muertos, Bread of the Dead, this year which we ate at a Day of the Dead celebration on Monday.
I have never loved autumn but my efforts to embrace it this year have been encouraged by these celebrations. As the leaves are falling and underfoot I have been thinking of the intimacy of God with the closeness of the leaves. Although I love the splendor of spring and blossoms, they are so far away high up in the trees! Now we can touch, feel and hear God in the crunch of the leaves. And with what splendor they die! It reminds me that as people die they also surrender to deep beauty before passing. Day of the Dead softens the "evilness" or fear and darkness that sometimes is connotated with Halloween.
I hope that we are able to teach Nori about the beauty of dying, of remembering loved ones in this time of year as well as to have fun dressing up and eating candy!!