My favourite holiday is, hands down, Halloween. It’s the one holiday that revolves around partying, dressing up in something OTHER than your typical “nice” clothes, and eating candy! From young to old, everyone can enjoy the spooky celebrations. If you’re like me, you’ll do your best to prolong the holiday, from having themed costume parties weeks in advance to adopting other cultures analogous halloweens. Myself, I like to celebrate Dia de los Muertos, Day of the Dead, a two day Mexican holiday akin to Halloween. (Aside, I actually like to celebrate all Mexican holidays but that’s another story).
I was initially thrown by this holiday: “What is this holiday where they celebrate death? Why do they eat candied skulls and make “Bread of the Dead” pan de muerto? And what’s up with the decorative skulls everywhere?” However, IMHO, the holiday isn’t that odd when you consider that the whole thing is a celebration of departed loved ones. They once loved to eat and drink, now that they have gone onto another stage of their life, life after death, it stands that they would like to occasionally return and celebrate the earthly joys they once enjoyed. I know that no matter how much I food trot, I like to return to my hometown and just relax for a few days; likewise, I can imagine food trotting to earth posthumously! It’s really just a bigger journey, right? The candied skulls and Bread of the Dead are foods for the dead as well as the living to savour! Pan de Muerto is a traditional Mexican sweet dessert bread served in the time leading up to and during Dia de los Muertos. It is typically decorated with bones (to bring good luck, so run Mexican beliefs). And what of the “creepy” skulls? In Aztec culture, skulls were viewed as a symbol of death and rebirth, a way to honour the dearly departed. Truly, the Day of the Dead, is not a horrible macabre holiday, but a celebration of life! After all, what would life be without death? The holiday falls right after halloween, on All Souls and All Saints Day: Nov 1st and 2nd. It lasts two days because the first day is for remembering loved children while the second day is dedicated to honouring departed adults. It is also socially acceptable to remember people that are not personal acquaintences, such as those killed in disasters or catastrophes during the year.
It is one of my travel goals to visit Mexico during Dias de los Muertos. If you can’t book that plane ticket either, I highly recommend celebrating this holiday with a few decorative skulls, perhaps a bread of the dead, or maybe even partaking in your city’s adapted Day of the Dead!
In San Francisco, you can join the Mission St. Procession or listen to the Dia de los Muertos symphony.
In Vancouver, you can attend the Parade of Lost Souls: Secret Souls Walk or taste test Zocolo which is offering a Dia de los Muertos special menu: $25 for 3 courses from Nov 1st until Nov 15th.
If you are travelling to Los Angeles or Texas around halloween-time, these cities have vast Mexican populations. I can only imagine how incredible it would be to be a part of the Dia de los Muertos festivities!
