“All Hallows Eve”… and …."Day Of The Dead”

“All Hallows' Eve falls on 31st October each year, and is the day before All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day in the Christian calendar. The Church traditionally held a vigil on All Hallows' Eve when worshippers would prepare themselves with prayers and fasting prior to the feast day itself.”

“The name derives from the Old English 'hallowed' meaning holy or sanctified and is now usually contracted to the more familiar word Hallowe'en”.

When we were in Palomas ,Mexico, at The Pink Store, we saw a TON of skeletal figures you could buy..and each one was of a different sex, age, dress, profession, demeanor….So, …you could buy one to honor a family member who had passed.

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“The Day of the Dead in Mexico is not a mournful commemoration but a happy and colorful celebration where death takes a lively, friendly expression .  Indigenous people believed  that souls did not die, that they continued living in Mictlan, a special place to rest. In this place, the spirits rest until the day they could return to their homes to visit their relatives. Before the Spaniards arrived, they celebrated the return of the souls between the months of July and August. Once arrived, the Spaniards changed the festivities to November 2nd to coincide with All Souls’ Day of the Catholic Church. Presently, two celebrations honoring the memory of loved ones who have died take place: On November 1st, the souls of the children are honored with special designs in the altars, using color white on flowers and candles. On November 2nd the souls of the adults are remembered with a variety of rituals, according to the different states of the Mexican republic.”

Well, I know that different people honor members of their family who have “passed” in different ways.  I found the Mexican history of honoring their dead ,with a celebration of their life, really interesting and refreshing….

  At our house, we simply think of Halloween as a time for  CANDY, PARTIES, COSTUMES, ….and an excuse to load up on sweet treats and SAY  we gave it all to the Trick or Treaters…. Yeah, right.

I thought I would share some photos of Halloweens past at the Cave Dwellings….

 

        Heiser kids 2006       “07, one of our Trick or Treaters…….       Heiser kids, 2008

 

Heiser kids, ‘09…..             Aiden Wolff, ‘09……               Xavier Curran, my YaYa Mary’s grandson

                   

The “yard decorations” in Sandwich can get pretty ghoulish..NO amount of candy would have made me pass this stuff!

 

THIS ONE COULD BE CONSIDERED A LITTLE “OVER THE TOP”…..WHY WOULD ANY KID EVEN GO IN THERE??

We officially start “Trick of Treating” at 4PM this afternoon. Gosh, when I was little we use to wait until it was DARK, and we stayed out till 10PM..Unfortunately, there are just too many stupid creeps out there now that we bring the kids INSIDE at dark..How things have changed…So everyone have a safe and fun Halloween….I, for one,  intend to hold back some Butterfingers for myself!!!

“From ghoulies and ghosties and long leggety beasties and things that go bump in the night, Good Lord, deliver us!”   ~Scottish saying