Day of the Dead

November 1st is known in Christian circles as All Saints Day. It comes from the Mexican holiday Dia de los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. Popular culture has latched on to the colorful sugar skulls of Dia de los Muertas. The history around All Saints Day/Dia de los Muertos is interesting, but like much of history in the last several hundred years involves colonization and also taking a "pagan" celebration and making it into a Christian celebration. (Womp womp.) The Day of the Dead is a public holiday in Mexico and people of Mexican decent around the world celebrate it, often by decorating the graves of their loved ones, praying for them, and cooking and eating the favorite foods of their departed loved ones.
I never paid any attention to the Day of the Dead before Eli died. In fact, I didn't even know the colorful skeletons and sugar skulls had any meaning or what culture they were from. I once asked my grief counselor how people in other cultures survive child loss. Mostly I was talking about places where people live in abject poverty, where child loss is more common and where mothers likely don't have a picture of their child or mementos to physically hold on to. Or, you know, grief counseling and entire books and blogs on the topic. She said something along the lines of, "Every culture has rituals and things they do individually and communally to remember their loved ones."
I have learned a bit more about the Day of the Dead in the last couple years. I love the idea of it now that I understand it. Now that I have my own departed loved one. It feels fitting. I don't have any plans to participate in any celebrations because I want to be so careful appropriating someone else's culture. But it is comforting to have this day in my heart with Eli, where I am not carrying my memories and loss alone, but knowing that millions of people are remembering and celebrating their own special person today along with me.