November 1st & 2nd are days for remembering, respecting and honoring dead loved ones in Mexico, many Latin American countries, Spain and Hollerdom.
The Holler is close to the border with Mexico and is blessed with a large Latin American population so the tradition has become familiar.
Marking the Day of the Dead began in Aztec times and was able to survive the cultural suppression of the missionaries.
I admire cultures that remember and remain connected to their deceased ancestors.
In memory and respect for all our ancestors, and for those who honor them~
Have you seen my Dia de los muertos art on my blog ? Hope to have several pieces on display at a gallery this week – my first show.
How exciting! Looking forward to it~
Carl! I finally found you again!
Thank you for sharing your photos and thoughts. Always a pleasure to stop by here.
The pleasure is all mine my friend and Happy Sunday!
Wonderful concept and custom.
I also respect the custom in the South Pacific where relatives are buried in crypts by their family home. People discuss things with them when they are troubled. It seems like a way to ameliorate the sense of complete separation we have with the dead in the west.
Most definitely.
Too bad everyone doesn’t have such a colorful approach to remembering those who have passed on, Cindy. Peggy and I head off to Puerto Vallarta on Friday. –Curt
Oh, one of my favorite places! Enjoy the ocean!
Thanks Cindy. We will… everyday. 🙂
That skeleton doll is amazing!
There is something so warm and vibrant and creative about these cultures even as they honor the dead~
So different than here where it’s more on the morbid side.
I agree completely~
I like your Halloween shots, Cindy. 🙂
Awwww, thank you dear Ranu~ <3
If we cared about our past, perhaps we wouldn’t make such a mess of our future. Beautiful colors for the celebration of lives remembered.
Oh that first sentence is priceless Sheri! And yes Dia de Muertos is beautiful in every way~
That is very good to know about these two days.
Apparently some Asian and African countries also mark days to honor their dead.
I think those may go to their buried ground of their ancestors to pay respect.
Yes that sounds correct.
Great photos. There are some activities going on in Texas. 🙂
Yes, I love the blending of cultures that occur in the states that share borders with Mexico, TexMex food for example! 🙂
Thank you, Cindy….for helping us to remember it’s good to remember….
It is good to remember. <3
Muy Bien! Usted Es Una Señora Muy Intelligente!
Tengo la suerte de ser su amiga. <3 <3
Very nice Cindy!
Muchas gracias mi amiga~
Those figures beat our All Hallows Eve ghouls! 🙂 Beautiful colors and artwork though.
Yes, beautiful cultures and traditions which I am lucky to be close too.
Thanks for sharing this, Cindy. I’d forgotten about Dia de los Muertos.
Buenas noches, primo…. Hugs!
Egualmente me primo mio! <3
Growing up in Canada, we didn’t learn anything about Dia de los Muertos, so I enjoy learning about it piecemeal as an adult. 🙂 Those are fascinating sculptures and images. The Chinese have a similar, though less flamboyant, festival called Ching Ming where we go to our ancestors’ graves and tidy them up. We also bring food offerings that we end up eating. I remember doing that in Hong Kong with my relatives. It wasn’t a sad or scary holiday for us. 🙂
I am so glad someone spoke up about Asian practices because I knew similar respectful days were set aside in certain Asian & African countries but I didn’t know any specifics. What you describe in Hong Kong is so similar to Latin America’s Day of the Dead, they visit relatives graves, tidy them, leave flowers and favorite foods, sometimes they leave a trail of food back to the house so the relative can visit if they wish. I think this incorporating of the deceased relatives spirit into the lives of their descendants is incredibly beautiful and the we in western cultures loose a lot by not doing this.
I agree! Personally, I think if we changed Halloween to be more like Day of the Dead or Ching Ming, it would be a better thing. Candy and costume makers would not agree, however. LOL!
Yes, I agree with you, Day of the Dead and Ching Ming seem to me to be far more meaningful and psychologically beneficial. Thank you for telling me about Ching Ming. I will google it now.
Fabulous colors!
Yes!
I enjoyed the art in this piece, Cindy. Christians here in India visit the graves of their deceased loved ones on the Feast of All Souls. I’m Christian, but don’t have any graves to visit as my deceased family members are buried in the U.S. Interesting piece. 🙂
Interesting isn’t it, how Christian practices expand to incorporate those cultural traditions that are especially rich and meaningful. I can’t even imagine a national holiday set aside in the US for people to visit, tidy, and pay respects to the graves of their relatives. It seems we are missing out.
https://i1.wp.com/www.mscperu.org/biblioteca/1esoterismo/pic_supersticion/muertos.jpg
En conmomoracion de los Fieles Difuntos. Amen. <3
Dia de los Muertos and the art that springs from it is one of my favorite things about this time of year. And these images are so fun to look at – with the level of detail that goes into them. It’s wonderful to see that regardless of whether you travel or stay home Cindy, there’s something spectacular to see! ~Lynn
Yes, this is so true Lynn. Beauty is everywhere, one must just look around to find out. Be well my friend~ <3
Such vibrant colours. Mexicans here will be celebrating. In a quiet way, at home, we acknowledged All Souls Day, and remembered dear friends and family who have died.
Yes. It is remarkable, uplifting and quite spiritual, to think of the similarities across countries and historical time, in the ceremonies different cultures engage in to honor their deceased loved ones. I just learned of Ching Ming from a blogging friend, which is remarkably similar to Dias de los Muertos. All Souls Day is another beautiful example. One can see a common spritual thread running through all of these tradtions and I think it is lovely.
I must say All Souls Day is not emphasized as much in the US as it is in Europe and now as you are saying , in New Zealand. Failing to honor our deceased relatives seems to be a significant loss for those who don’t practice this. Death then becomes too powerful and too final.
Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
We have the celebration here in Spain and at this time of year most countries thoughts turn to those that have been lost under all circumstances.
I think these practices are lovely and psychologically healing for the people who practice them.
I agree entirely, we all have traditional ways of remembering and honouring those we have lost and in my house it is usually a very good whisky and a look through the photograph albums.
I like that tradtion. It’s the having one that matters!
It is quite inspiring how other cultures make death colourful rather than grim and grey. We could all benefit from the example.
Yes! You hit the nail on the head. It doesn’t have to be dull, quiet, somber. There can be COLOR, life, noise, warmth, along with sadness, as one honors one’s ancestors. It is so wonderful to be exposed to other cultures because it expands one’s sense of the possible. Thank you for knowing this Graham. <3
If a society does not honour its ancestors – and a lot of Anglo societies think it is wrong because it smacks of ancestor worship – then the result is that the young do not honour the old and childen do not respect their parents. And isn’t that sort of where we are now, in Australia and US and most of Europe.
How well said! Yes. I can only speak on my knowledge of the mess in the US, and boy is it a mess! Honoring one’s ancestors provides continuity from generation to generation. Family doesn’t die, it remains. You can be sure that a person who does not honor or respect their dead ancestors, will not be honored or respected by their relatives when they die. So death becomes overly powerful, final, meaningless, and people forgotten. This is how it seems to be in the rational pragamatic west. If there is no respect for dead relatives, then why should there be for the living ones? Everything becomes about ME. NOW. THIS LIFE. It is a disrespectful way to live, and die.
Los colores hermosos!₊·*◟(˶╹̆ꇴ╹̆˵)◜‧*･
Si, en honor amada familia.
₊·*◟(˶╹̆ꇴ╹̆˵)◜‧*･
Great colours!
Yes! The Buddhist tradition in Japan has a gradating series of annual temple ceremonies marking and honoring one’s dead relatives doesn’t it?
A respectful collection indeed … with the perfect last pic.
Yes, Latin America has derived a beautiful blending of ancient practices and Catholicism, each influencing the other.
It’s sort of odd for the missionaries to have behaved in that way. If Christians can pray for the dead, why not celebrate the memory of them in a colourful way, too? Must share your post with my granddaughter. She loves skulls. For her 13th birthday, I gave her a black dress with florescent-pink skulls all over it. The present was a great hit!
What a way cool grandmother! In the puritan Christian tradition, any sort of color, hoopala, or decoration was frowned upon. Remember they rejected the colorful cathedral decorations of Catholicism, which is why it is harder to take good photographs in many protestant churces! Maybe it is why we avoid color in our homes and communties too. One has to go to Italy, Spain, Latin America, to see vibrantly colored cities. It seems sometimes that focusing attention on the differences between protestant branches, and protestants and catholics, diverts attention from what is fundamentally important.
In the UK we have Anglo-catholic churches that we talk of as being higher up the candle. They are very colourful and far more flexible in their thinking than those lower down the candle.
These are great, Cindy. I remember when my son was little, and he had to create Day of the Dead items for class. Such an educational experience!
It helps us immensely to be exposed to other cultural beliefs and practices because it expands our sense of what is real and what is possible.
Wow, Cindy, wunderschöne Masken und Figuren zu Allerheiligen, toll,
liebe Grüsse Ernst
Ich bin froh, dass du Ernst genossen. Danke mein Freund. Ich werde in Deutschland nachste Woche. Es wil kalt sein, aber ich freue mich darauf, essen Schnitzel! <3
Amazing show and great shots! BTW, yesterday I saw new James Bond and the first long and impressive scene was from Mexico and from this celebration but you probably know that…have a nice autumn. Bye. Kamila
No, I have no idea as I haven’t seen it! Thanks for telling me~
Great post Cindy 🙂
Mil grazi~
Beautiful art work and photos! I have loved Dia de los Muertos since spending 10 years living in San Antonio. 🙂
If you are close to it, you understand it. <3
Love the bright colors and message. I’ve got a little wooden Day of the Dead skeleton on my desk that was given to me many years ago.
It is such different imagery than we are used to in the west and this is part of what makes it wonderful.
thanks for this post….in the Philippines, aside from Christmas, All Souls’ Day and All Saints’ Day are the most celebrated feasts…
Yes, Dia de los Muertos is a catholic celebration as well with some aztec added in for spice. I wonder if in the Phillipines there is a cultural difference in All Souls Day ceremonies compared to European catholic countries. I bet there are cultural differences in the Filipino traditions even though they are predominantly catholic as in Latin America.
Hey, they may be a bit spooky but at least they are colorful!!!
Yes, so different than what we are accoustomed too.
I second that – though I might choose different images.
Yes, that is what makes cultural differences so interesting.
Thanks for sharing the images and your thoughts! Always a blessing to visit what you share!
Visa versa 2 U X 2 Wendell!
Hi Cindy, I love this posting. Its Beautiful!!! Thank you for liking my newest piece. Visit anytime !!! 🙂 * Cynthia
Thank you Cynthia and cheers to you my friend~
Lovely.
Merci mon ami~ <3
Your last point about cultures who honour their ancestors is a special one – now that I understand day of the dead better, it is quite wonderful.
Yes it is. Thank you for ‘getting’ this! <3 <3
Huge respect, Cindy! 🙂
Visa versa 2 U X 2 Jo! <3 <3
Liebe Cindy das sind aber gruselige Gestallten tolle Foto schönen Dienstag wünsche ich dir mit vielen lieben Grüßen Klaus
Ja, sie sind gruselig, aber nicht bedeutete, furchtsam zu sein. Sie sind eine mexikanische Tradition an einem nationalen Feiertag zu Ehren der Toten. Mich darauf, in Deutschland nachste Woche! Beifall zu Ihnen Klaus .
Love this tradition.
<3 <3
they look like some of my relatives who are still alive
Laughing…….better not tell them!
It makes me think of all the traditions that did not survive, and what were they actually replaced with….quite a loss really. As a white North American woman I find myself envious of the cultural richness of other cultures. Their celebrations, rituals and community involvement. Great post as always Cindy!!
Good for you! I shows how open your heart and mind are and I agree with you completely. <3
Amazing !
You are a very kind blogging friend!
My Mom taught Spanish and liked the bright colors of Spain and Mexico. She emphasized at home, more as a joke, about All Saints Day. Why? Because it was her birthday and of course, mothers wish to be considered saints. 🙂
Cindy, I like the beauty in remembrance and celebrating life which your examples express beautifully. The day of the dead emphasizes lives which have passed but left their marks, it seems to me. ♡
Es una curiosa tradición mejicana. Aquí en España, la tradición lleva a poner flores en las tumbas de los seres queridos que se han ido, pero recientemente se está “importando” la costumbre americana de los disfraces y del “truco o trato”. Un abrazo, amiga.
Fabulous photographs, I read about this festival before. I particularly liked the face masks.
People can get spooked by it, but I like the way it incorporates the fear we have of death, while making it colorful and meaningful.
Yes, I agree.
Love this post so beautiful and thoughtful. 🙂
I love your sensitive comment as it is both things as well! <3
Thank you Cindy!
LOVE!
{Hugs}
Hugs & love back to you my friend~ <3 <3
Lovely post Cindy! 😀 xx
Muchas gracias mi amiga!
I too feel the same, cultures that remember and remain connected to their deceased ancestors is special (they have tomb cleaning day in China). And these photos of dia de muertos is a reminder of how I would like very much to see experience this in person myself. Beautiful.
I am not surprised at all that you understand the beauty of this ritual Randall. Be well my friend~
Wonderful post!
It’s crazy how our forefathers felt the need to re-educate the Aztec descendants to their western ways. It is so disrespectful that any culture or religion tries to convert peoples of another ilk.
Couldn’t agree more! There is an arrogance to it that I find most distasteful.
Agree!