Today is the "Day of the Dead". A national holdiay in Mexico, Dia de los Muertos commemorates deceased friends and relatives. The dead are honoured and death is celebrated as just the start of the next step in a person's life.
When the Spanish landed in Mexico five centuries ago, the natives had already been observing Dia de los Muertos for over three millenia. As they converted to Catholocism, the native Mexicans melded the old ways with the very Christian holiday of All Saints' Day. Today, the Day of the Dead is considered an important expression of Mexican culture.
Mexicans observe the holiday by cleaning and even decorating the graves of loved ones. They often leave offerings of food, alcohol, candy, and toys. They may also make altars for these offerings in their homes and offices (even government offices). All in all, they display a distinct lack of dread about death and a definite sense of communicty.
As interesting as I find the Dia de los Muertos observations, I could never follow them myself. My family has been mobile -- we travelled from Saskatchewan to the United States to British Columbia. My three siblings live in different towns in BC than my parents; I live in Ontario. Neither my parents nor my siblings live in the same province where my grandparents are buried. I don't even know what cemeteries my grandparents rest in.
I am not Mexican, so I could never really celebrate the Day of the Dead, even if I knew where my grandparents were buried. What I can, however, learn from Mexican culture is how to celebrate the lives of the people who have gone away. And so I will spend this evening thinking about the ones who are no longer with us: my grandparents, my uncles, my aunts, my cousins, and my father-in-law. In my heart I am leaving you flowers and food and alcohol.
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