Thursday, October 22, 2020

Love, Loss, and Growth

 


Dia de los Muertos

In the last blog, we looked at the benefits of fear. This blog, we are looking at loss. Loss can cover any number of things in life. We can feel loss when we leave a school, move out of a home, leave friends and family. It can also occur when a loved one leaves us. In the world, death is addressed differently. In the next week, we will hear about Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead celebrations. You might also hear of All Saints' or All Souls' Days. Let's learn a little more about these upcoming holidays which focus on our lost loved ones.


Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, comes from Mexico. Day of the dead is traditionally celebrated November 1st and 2nd. This two-day celebration is believed to be when the passageway between the real world and the spirit world opens and our deceased loved ones can come back to visit. This celebration involves making our loved ones favorite meals and offering their favorite drinks. The living sing, dance, and rejoice their lost loved ones before they return to the spirit world. The first is traditionally for the children who have passed to come back and celebrate as angelitos. The second is the day the adults return to celebrate a Difuntos. Families celebrate by creating altars, decorating burial sites, and cooking specific food. Día de los Muertos began when the Spaniards came to Mexico and introduced Catholicism to the indigenous people. This celebration blended the Aztec festival dedicated to the “lady of the dead” goddess Mictecacihuatl and Catholicism. Today, festivities include families gathering during the night at cemeteries to light candles and place flowers on the burial sites of their lost loved ones. There is music and reflections of their loved ones.

Traditions:

  • Ofrendas (altars): usually consist of water, the loved one’s favorite food and drink items, flowers, bread, and other things that celbrate the dead person’s life. Ofrendas showcase fire, water, earth, and air.

  • Marigold flowers: The marigold is thought to guide the spirits back with their intense color and pungent smell.

  • Calaveras (skulls): Skulls were used during rituals in the Aztec era and passed on as trophies during battles.Small, decorated sugar skulls are placed on the altars. They are decorated with colorful, edible pain, glitter, beads, and sport huge smiles.

  • La Catrina: The skulls and skeletons that are so prominent come from a desire to stay true to the culture. People painting their faces with skulls and flowers to symbolize Día de los Muertos.

  • Papel Pícado: perforated paper art that comes from the Aztec tradition of chiseling spirit figures on wood. You will find them strung up on alters and in the streets. Papel picados represent air on the ofrendas.

To learn more about recipes, sugar skulls, traditions, and history, look at https://dayofthedead.holiday/ and National Geographic Dia de los Muertos



For Roman Catholics and Christians,  All Saints’ Day (November 1st) and All Souls’ Day (November 2nd)  celebrate those baptized Christians who are deceased and saints that are both known and unknown to the human world.



Mourning What We're Missing


We talked about fear during the last blog and additionally during our 7 Mindset lessons.  As we get closer to Halloween, Dia de Los Muertos, and All Saints’ Day it’s important to remember those people and things we have lost.  Not just in a sense of death, but also being able to mourn the activities affected by Covid-19 and other experiences.  Here are two videos about ways to find positives in the midst of loss and practice new coping skills.


Mourning what we’re missing



Unlikely Basketball Hero


Activity

When fear, sadness, or anxiety sets in we need to make intentional time for happiness. With your family, allow time to blow bubbles, make an album with pictures and happy memories of loved ones and fun times, draw or color these 7 Mindsets coloring pages, relax a little more, take time to express gratitude on the form, tell funny stories, etc. Allow time to intentionally express joy and happiness.

Summer is Almost Here! Last Blog of the School Year

  Our last blog for the school year! There is so much to talk about and so little time. Let’s start with celebrating National AAPI Heritage ...