Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos)

Everybody in the Anglosaxon world celebrated Hallowe’en last night (well, everybody except me. I stayed in with JT, ordered sushi and watched episodes of Brothers and Sisters). But tomorrow is a day of national observance in Mexico, and it’s a day I actually respect quite a lot, Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead). Dia de Todos los Santos (All Saints Day) is today, November 1st, and it’s the Catholic celebration that is paired with the celebration of All Souls Day (which now has turned into Day of the Dead).

In Mexico, traditionally, as I was growing up, my family would set up an altar (Altar de Muertos) honoring our deceased (offers of food and candies are placed on the altars). We would also go and visit our grandparents’ graves and drop flowers on their graves. As I grew past my teen years, several members of my family passed away, mostly of cancer (thus you can imagine how much I hate cancer). Since neither day (All Saints and All Souls) were actual work holidays, I got used to taking my lunch break to drive to the cemetery and drop flowers on my auntie’s and grandparents’ graves, then drive back to my office.

Now that I live abroad, I do observe Dia de los Muertos, but not to the extent I used to when I lived in Mexico. And I also ask my closest friends in Mexico to take my place and bring flowers to my grandparents and auntie’s graves. I think that’s one of the things I really value in my friends back in Mexico: I can ask them to take care of my affairs as though they were actually me (in my stead, as you would say in English). My close friends in Mexico bring flowers to my Mom on Mothers’ Day, and to my deceased’s graves on Dia de los Muertos. THAT is a sign of true friendship in my books.