Hello and welcome back to The Stone Soup Cook–glad you’ve joined me today!
If you read my last post, you know that we lost our little dog, Moxie last week. On Dia De Los Muertos, or The Day of the Dead, we remember and celebrate our beloved departed. This year, our thoughts will turn to all of our dearly departed family and friends, as well as to our Moxie.
Dia De Los Muertos is the beautiful Mexican tradition that celebrates those who have passed and honors their memories. Dia De Los Muertos is believed to be a time when the barrier between the living and dead is lifted and the dead visit their loved ones. Often, the celebrations include “ofrendas,” or offerings in the form of altars. Family and friends decorate altars with marigolds and favorite foods, drinks and depictions of the loved ones, doing things they enjoyed. They can also include pillows and blankets on which the departed loved ones can rest after their long journeys.
The tradition is a celebration of remembrance. The belief is that a loved one can die three times: first when the body dies, next when the body is returned to the earth through burial, and finally, when there is no one left to remember the deceased. Dia De Los Muertos is celebrated in an effort to make sure that the dead are not forgotten, but celebrated. If you haven’t already seen the movie “Coco,” it depicts this concept far more eloquently than I could ever write it in words.
I think that Moxie’s ofrenda would include hedgehog toys, sweet potatoes, her leash (because she loved to take long walks), and one of her pillowy-soft beds. She would be depicted getting belly and ear rubs, running, and playing with her hedgehog toys, and curled up in a warm bed.
Dia De Los Muertos celebrations among family and friends include lots of traditional foods, one of which is tamales:
Tamales are a labor of love, but are delicious and well worth the time. Making tamales is also often a family event, and so it seems particularly appropriate to feature them for a post celebrating Dia De Los Muertos. Enjoy!
See you next week!
Until then,
Peace, love and good food,
Keri
