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| https://chicho21net.deviantart.com/art/Dia-de-Muertos-568969608 |
As is tradition, I'm lazy this week...
No, I'm just kidding. However, I always like to take the day and wish everyone a feliz Dia de los Muertos, (or Happy Day of the Dead). Just as I celebrate and have celebrated Halloween for as long as I remember because of my mom, I now also celebrate Dia de los Muertos because of her as well (although my wife's traditions also help since I didn't really know about the day before I knew her).
For those of you that haven't heard of the day before, Dia de los Muertos is ironically enough two-days, not one, and takes place at the very beginning of November. While some people like to think of it almost as 'Mexican Halloween', it actually serves a different, albeit similar purpose. With Halloween, and Samhain before it, being more of a harvest holiday, there is a focus on the end of summer, the harvest, and then some spooks and specters that wander the night. Dia de los Muertos, on the other hand, is meant as a day of reverence and remembrance. We take the time to honor and remember and think of those that we have loved and lost. We hold them near and dear to our hearts and offer food and drink and warmth to those we can no long hold in our arms.
Today, I tend to think of two people in particular: my mother and my brother. Both of them were desperately important to me and have had a huge influence on my life and in becoming the man I am today. My mother for her kindness, empathy, and insight that showed me the paths around the broken channels. My brother for his sullen yet kind demeanor and an unstoppable personality that couldn't be abated.
So, when all is said and done, I want to wish you a very Happy Day of the Dead and ask you: who's in your thoughts tonight?
Love you all.
- RB
