Día de los Muertos
The season has changed from an extended dry spell to the first rains of winter. It is time for the Day of the Dead. We are saddened by the departure of several relatives this year, from the last of our parent’s generation, to a much beloved in-law in Denver.
Falling as it does in the harvest season, el día de los muertos is a reminder that we have our seasons, that we are organic as well, dependent on the lives of plants and animals in order to continue our journey.
We remember those who went before us, and we remind ourselves of who they were – a good opportunity to pass down ancestral information to our children.
Sitting in the rocking chair in our display this year is a representation of La Catarina, first depicted by artist José Guadalupe Posada during the Mexican Revolution, when death seemed to rule every street and cornfield. Now, she is a reminder that death is always with us, and like one’s enemy’s, should be kept close. We both respect and mock her, for she is, of course, ourselves. Surrounded by flowers, La Catarina reminds us that life constantly comes back from the earth.
There is also food for the departed spirits, who will partake of its essence, leaving the substance for those of us still in our corporeal forms. We will continue to add gifts and photos to this display until the beginning of November. Our kitchen remodel is almost done, and we look forward to feeding our friends and family in it.
We also remember that this is a cycle – wedding have been celebrated, babies born, goals achieved, and projects completed as we continue our journey around the sun. The days have grown short, but the season has been abundant with squash, corn, and beans. We recently enjoyed a salad of greens, tiny carrots, and tomatoes from the garden, lettuce from our local grocery store, and radishes from our CSA. My little garden plot is still yielding yellow, pear-shaped tomatoes, enough that I have begun to freeze some of them.
May the fall season treat you well, and may you take comfort in the wholeness of the cycle as we travel forward through time and space.
Falling as it does in the harvest season, el día de los muertos is a reminder that we have our seasons, that we are organic as well, dependent on the lives of plants and animals in order to continue our journey.
We remember those who went before us, and we remind ourselves of who they were – a good opportunity to pass down ancestral information to our children.
Sitting in the rocking chair in our display this year is a representation of La Catarina, first depicted by artist José Guadalupe Posada during the Mexican Revolution, when death seemed to rule every street and cornfield. Now, she is a reminder that death is always with us, and like one’s enemy’s, should be kept close. We both respect and mock her, for she is, of course, ourselves. Surrounded by flowers, La Catarina reminds us that life constantly comes back from the earth.
There is also food for the departed spirits, who will partake of its essence, leaving the substance for those of us still in our corporeal forms. We will continue to add gifts and photos to this display until the beginning of November. Our kitchen remodel is almost done, and we look forward to feeding our friends and family in it.
We also remember that this is a cycle – wedding have been celebrated, babies born, goals achieved, and projects completed as we continue our journey around the sun. The days have grown short, but the season has been abundant with squash, corn, and beans. We recently enjoyed a salad of greens, tiny carrots, and tomatoes from the garden, lettuce from our local grocery store, and radishes from our CSA. My little garden plot is still yielding yellow, pear-shaped tomatoes, enough that I have begun to freeze some of them.
May the fall season treat you well, and may you take comfort in the wholeness of the cycle as we travel forward through time and space.