November 01, 2004

Observing the Day of the Dead -- Día de los Muertos has and can be observed in many ways. I have mine (and will post later if am able, too many links apply to post now as well), do you have yours? With so many gone and so little time to mourn, reasons abound--
posted by ethylene 20 years ago
  • Yes, I have a great way of celebrating this holiday.... For me to poop on.
  • Like you just did in this thread? I love this holiday. When I lived in Santa Cruz, I went to a Dia de los Muertos art exhibit at a gallery in Oakland - various altars made by high school and college students. The most memorable was a Mcdonalds-themed altar. I always wanted to go up to the Mission in SF and take part in the festivities there, but never made it. The year my great-grandmother died I put her photo and some food at an altar at my university.
  • ActuallySettle, oooh, you just got soooo spanked.
  • Trolls. You're all trolls.
  • Okay, back on point, here. Both of my grandmothers died in the past 6 weeks, and I'm stuck across the country from my family, and I missed the funerals, the gatherings of family and friends, and I continue to miss my family intensely as a result of missing the death rituals. So this here is interesting to me.
  • Keep the kids away from the Mexican candy though: http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/news/2004/NEW01048.html ...lead contamination of some Mexican candy products being sold in the United States .... it would be prudent to not allow children to eat these products at this time. .... products that contain significant amounts of chili powder may contain higher lead levels than other types of candy, such as candy that contains predominantly sugar. Examples of chili containing products include lollipops coated with chili and powdery mixtures of salt, lemon flavor and chili seasoning sold as a snack item. In addition, tamarind, a popular Mexican candy item, can become contaminated with lead if it is sold in poorly made glazed ceramic vessels that release lead from the glaze into the candy. ...
  • HawthorneWingo, my condolences. Hopefully the rituals might help - it might give you some closure, which is always good.
  • One of the main influences on the art still used today in the mexican D
  • Hawthorne: been there, not easy. But cherishing the memories of good times sometimes helps. Hope you can find some balance soon.
  • I've always had a fondness for El Dia de los Muertos. I love the imagery and art. I make an ancestor altar every year. When my father and 3 grandmothers (modern family ties) died in the space of 18 months, Halloween/Samhain/Day of the Dead became particularly important for me. I don't think we handle death particulary well in Western culture, and I find these celebrations to satisfy a need to reflect on those who have passed and ponder death in general, in a very festive and uplifting way. When I had a house in TN, my sister and I would host huge parties combining aspects of all three holidays. We would invite people to bring pictures of the departed for the altar, and would leave offerings and rememberences. As the night wore on, and the altars grew, they became really incredible works of art, beauty and magic. This year I went to a Day of the Dead festival at the Museum of the American Indian. A troop of Mexican Native American dancers did an amazing invocation to the dead. The day was catered to kids, and there were several crafty workshops including decorating paper mache skulls and making "Las Calacas" (skeleton puppets).
  • (Oh man, I am thinking I might need to get some ossi dei morti down in the North End tomorrow. Thanks for reminding me!)
  • i find it very interesting that the end of burning man has taken on a day of the dead element in the temple of the stars, closer to its original time-- but as i knew it, part of the reason for "the day" is that bodies needed to be dealt with quickly and daily life could not stop and so time was set to mourn. life now makes us rush past the moment and delay our grieving, sometimes until it is unavoidable-- removed from death, decay, aging, illness, many modern people are removing themselves from the elements of life that make one understand why it is of value. death is-- --well to go on here would take too long, more later but for some people dealing with death is how they view their own mortality rather than the passing of a person out of their life, while to honor them is different-- must go, sorry later, promise