Shoes, Ships, and Sealing Wax

D�a de los Muertos

Several years ago my brother lived in Chicago, and I visited him there late one fall, a few weeks after our grandfather had died. My brother hadn't made it home for the funeral, and as sort of a tribute to Dziadzia we had gone to a carry-out for kielbasa and pierogis.

Also that weekend we went to an art exhibit that some of my brother's friends were in, an exhibit with a D�a de los Muertos theme. I didn't know anything about the feast specifically, I just assumed it was Mexican Halloween, Day of the Dead.

My brother lived in a neighborhood that sort of straddled the Ukrainian Village and an Hispanic area, and before I left we ate in a little neighborhood restaurant that was all decorated with whimsical skeletons.

A few years ago, here in D.C., I went to a Mexican restaurant that had been decorated with marzipan skulls and papel picado banners. That reminded me of the Chicago trip, and since I now had the Internet, I looked up D�a de los Muertos.

I was rather delighted to realize that our Polish dinner for Dziadzia was in the Day of the Dead spirit, although we should have left a beer for him.

Here is how Mexonline.com explains the holiday:

Every year, on November 1st (All Saints Day) and 2nd (All Souls Day), something unique takes place in many areas of Mexico: Day of the Dead festivities. While it's strange for most of us to accept the fact that "death" and "festivities" can go hand-in-hand, for most Mexicans, the two are intricately entwined. This all stems from the ancient indigenous peoples of Mexico (Purepecha, Nahua, Totonac and Otom�) who believed that the souls of the dead return each year to visit with their living relatives - to eat, drink and be merry. Just like they did when they were living.

I've never celebrated Day of the Dead...I suspect the cops would get a call if I tried hanging out at the cemetery for a picnic all night, and I don't really have room in the house for an altar...but I'm fascinated by it.

Here are a few of the articles I have found online:

Mexico Connect

Mary J. Andrade

AZCentral.com

Posted by Nic at November 2, 2006 05:13 PM | TrackBack