Wednesday, October 28, 2009

A time to remember...

Today the Wordful Wednesday theme over at 7 Clown Circus is~ GHOSTS OF HALLOWEEN PAST
And guess what... if you link in too you'll get another chance at winning that great Flip camera. Woo-hoo!







I didn't mean to take the prompt "Ghosts of Halloween past" so literally but when I saw this picture of my oldest son carving a pumpkin with his grandpa I couldn't help myself. Grandpas can be such an important part of a child's life and Grandpa Turk was one of the best. My children adored him and were quite devastated when we lost him three years ago.


And because their other grandpa died before any of them were born, my kids are missing an important piece of their lives, which can feel really sad at times.

Because of the lose of our dear loved ones I became quite interested in a documentary I saw last year on the Day of the Dead or Dia de los Muertos (I googled that).

If you want to learn more about this celebration you can read about it here.(or google it like I did).
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In this article Carlos Miller explains, "More than 500 years ago, when the Spanish Conquistadors landed in what is now Mexico, they encountered natives practicing a ritual that seemed to mock death.
It was a ritual the indigenous people had been practicing at least 3,000 years. A ritual the Spaniards would try unsuccessfully to eradicate. A ritual known today as Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. "

The reason I am so interested in this tradition is that it is a time to remember and celebrate our dead. I love, love, love this idea. Again from the article:
"Unlike the Spaniards, who viewed death as the end of life, the natives viewed it as the continuation of life. Instead of fearing death, they embraced it. To them, life was a dream and only in death did they become truly awake."
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I too believe that we continue on after death and I know that my loved ones are in a wonderful place and that we will be reunited someday, which is another reason I love this celebration. Love it.
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The article mentions different ways that the Day of the Dead is celebrated but I really loved this idea:

"In rural Mexico, people visit the cemetery where their loved ones are buried. They decorate gravesites with marigold flowers and candles. They bring toys for dead children and bottles of tequila to adults. They sit on picnic blankets next to gravesites and eat the favorite food of their loved ones."
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We don't live by the gravesites of our loved ones and to my knowledge none of them drank tequila, but I love the idea of having a gathering where we celebrate the lives of our loved ones, eating their favorite foods, telling their favorite stories, singing their favorite songs and just remembering them while teaching our children about their ancestors.
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Did I say I love this? Well I do.
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From what I've read, Dia de los Muertos is celebrated from October 31- November 2 (correct me if I'm wrong) and I so want to start this tradition this year. With my bum foot it will have to be something small and simple, but I look forward to doing this for years to come.
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And if I could talk to my lost loved ones today I'd say, "Look it snowed last night."


Our first snowfall of the year came early, and though I hate the cold I must admit that the snow sure is pretty.


9 comments:

Leslie said...

I think Dia de los Muertos sounds like an awesome way to remember our family members that have passed.

Lovely post of the grandfathers! We miss ours over here too!

Allison said...

What a great post!

Visiting via Angie's blog! Happy WW

Jessica B Photography said...

Brrr... I'm freezing in a sweater and it's 70 degrees in here.

Thanks for doing the research for me. I had been wanting to get to the real meaning of this holiday.

Marcie Ashton said...

What a pretty picture of the temple!

MaryRC said...

Zach did a report on it in 3rd grade, i think its a great tradition too.. snow time in snowflake..

Claudya Martinez said...

My grandmother was born on Dia de los Muertos and died on Dia de los Muertos.

hanna (kmcaldwell) said...

i know how your kids feel when you only have one grandpa alive on this earth. it kinda makes you clingish. well i loved the artical of halloween.

Shellie said...

Arg! Snow! I love the day of the dead. In Chile, It's more about just taking flowers to their graves, but in Mexico they will even prepare a feast for their ancestors and leave it on the table at night for their spirits to come enjoy. I love the idea of celebrating their favorite food, songs, stories @ them etc, maybe we could celebrate online?

Anonymous said...

Do you remember how Dad Johnson loved his salad? He always saved it for last and ate all that was left right out of the big salad bowel. Of course, there are other foods he liked. If I were there I could share some stories with y'all. I've heard of Dia de los Muertos, but never thought of celebrating it. You have a creative mind and kind heart. I'll be thinking of you Sunday.