I have a whole different perspective of today, November 2, than I’ve ever had before. When I was growing up in Maysville, Oklahoma, I never heard of the “Day of the Dead.” We had Halloween and I knew of something called All Saints Day, but that’s about it. There were no church services or any kind of celebrations to even acknowledge the day existed.
My first exposure to the “Day of the Dead,” came shortly after I had graduated and left Maysville — one year we were in Mexico for a few days over Halloween. That’s the first I learned of a November 2 holiday called Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead.) People celebrated the day by visiting the graves of deceased loved ones and setting up alters with their favorite foods, drinks, and photos. I was told that people believed that the souls of the dead return to visit their living families on this day.
It made an impression on me — I had never been taught any such belief and had never given much thought to it…. but I remember thinking how great that would be if it was true. After meeting Claire, it wasn’t a foreign belief to her at all, and I assumed it must be a Catholic thing. But it’s become apparent to me that for the most part, people that celebrate the Day of the Dead don’t attach any religious significance to it — they see it as a day of merriment, remembrance, and acknowledgment of cultural roots.
So despite its bleak name, the Day of the Dead isn’t a time for mourning or for spooking friends and neighbors. It’s a celebration of life — a time to honor the memory of deceased loved ones, to pray for the souls in purgatory and ask for prayers from those in Heaven.
I’m going to Mass today, for the first time on the Day of the Dead. Not to celebrate death, but accept it. After all, it’s something that comes — and is certain — for everyone. If I read my church’s teachings right, it’s something natural — a step toward Heaven.
I think about Claire all the time — one thing that consoles me is knowing that only what she did for herself died…. what she did for others and the world remains and is immortal.
— 30 —
♥️