In which it is All Hallows' Eve!
And rather than write a Halloween post, I wanted to offer you instead something about El Dia de Los Muertos, the Day of the Dead. The Interiority Complex has a wonderful entry about ofrendas, the altars that are created to mark the lives of those who have passed on. One of my favorite memories of living in Texas is the beautiful ofrendas at Mi Tierra, the spectacular Tex-Mex restaurant in downtown San Antonio. (The food is superb and the decor is flat-out fun. If you're ever in San Antonio, GO.)
Anyway, to celebrate El Dia de Los Muertos, Mi Tierra constructs a few amazing ofrendas. I used to make a point of going downtown to see them and sometimes used them as inspiration for my own ofrenda. I am not Hispanic myself, but I freely borrow some of the traditions, particularly regarding this day. The dead are remembered with love and gratitude and joy, with altars heaped with special tokens--favorite foods, candles, sweets, paper flowers, pictures, and "dead bread", pan de los muertos. It is sometimes flavored with anise, sometimes not, it can be baked in the shape of a skeleton or even a loved one. My favorite Dia de Los Muertos was the year my daughter and I made a bread to commemorate my grandmother. We placed it on a pretty tray with candles, flowers, and some of her favorite foods, and it marked a turning point in my grieving for her.
El Dia de Los Muertos is grand and over-the-top in a wonderfully gruesome way. It is affectionate and loving, and I think, a very healthy way to remember those you've lost.
Anyway, to celebrate El Dia de Los Muertos, Mi Tierra constructs a few amazing ofrendas. I used to make a point of going downtown to see them and sometimes used them as inspiration for my own ofrenda. I am not Hispanic myself, but I freely borrow some of the traditions, particularly regarding this day. The dead are remembered with love and gratitude and joy, with altars heaped with special tokens--favorite foods, candles, sweets, paper flowers, pictures, and "dead bread", pan de los muertos. It is sometimes flavored with anise, sometimes not, it can be baked in the shape of a skeleton or even a loved one. My favorite Dia de Los Muertos was the year my daughter and I made a bread to commemorate my grandmother. We placed it on a pretty tray with candles, flowers, and some of her favorite foods, and it marked a turning point in my grieving for her.
El Dia de Los Muertos is grand and over-the-top in a wonderfully gruesome way. It is affectionate and loving, and I think, a very healthy way to remember those you've lost.
Labels: holidays
posted by deanna at
6:10 AM
2 Comments:
Mi Tierra was my grandfather's favorite restaurant. I love that you talked about it. I always tell SA visitors to go there.
In High school, Dia De Los Muertos was my favorite holiday, especially in Spanish class. We made those sugar skulls and decorated them with icing. I had tremendous fun with them!
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