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They’d say, Hot dang! It’s my day.
Yesterday evening, I dropped in at the White Center Community Culture Center, where some local folks were observing the first night of the Dia de los Muertos (“Day of the Dead”) celebration. While there, I ate a cookie, painted a skull, snapped some photos, and met some really nice people.
The celebration is still going on tonight, from 5 to 8 PM, and the WS/WC community is welcome.
The Culture Center is 9421 18th Ave SW, and is located in the old St. James church. For more info, call Laura Villanueva at 206.402.4910 or check it out at http://www.wccda.org/home/wccda/1072.
STORY:
The Dia de los Muertos tradition is observed by many Mexicans and other Latinos around this time of year and is connected to the ancient Catholic “All Saints Day.”
It’s also connected to even more ancient Aztec rituals — rituals that included (gulp!) REAL SKULLS.
As we know, the Spanish conquistadores once tried to corner the market on Aztec skulls. But before they could do that, they had to take away all the Aztecs’ own skulls and give them sugar ones to play with instead.
— But before they could do that, they had to give the Aztecs sugar.
— And before they could do that, they had to make the Aztecs GROW the sugar.
But really, before they could do anything, they had to take away the Aztecs’ religion (“Aztectonics”) and give them Catholicism instead.
And so you see, that’s how the Spaniards got all the Aztec skulls!
Or something like that.
Now here are some photos to go along with my story. I hope you like them:
As part of the Dia de los Muertos tradition, families create shrines, on which they place photos and other items pertaining to departed friends and family. The spirits of same, knowing that they’re still welcome among the living, can then return to enjoy a quick snack, play with some of their virtual toys, or just hang out and chat with each other.
Here are a couple of the family shrines I viewed last night:
Now here’s a photo of campañera Laura V., decorating a sugar skull as she explains some of the the deeper meanings of the ritual to me:
It seems that there are three stages of DEATH.
Stage 1 ~ Physical death (soul leaves body)
Stage 2 ~ Interment (body leaves earth)
Stage 3 ~ Ascension (soul leaves earth)
Stage 3 (Ascension) won’t happen until a person is “dead” to the memory of the living. Thus, if you want to keep the soul of a departed friend or relative around, keep her alive in your memory by making a little shrine on this day.
Marigold petals may also be strewn in the vicinity of the shrine, as a way of guiding the Dead back home.
Hm.
As for my own soul, I have taken precautions. I try to write each of my Blog posts so that people come away feeling that they really know me. So as long as at least one of my posts is still out there taking up space on a file server somewhere, I’m safe.
As an added precaution, I have planted marigolds leading up to my front door.
On the other hand, the flowers are only good for one season.
[Sigh.]
Well . . .
Maybe they’ll reseed themselves.
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